Take Me Away
by fiery-eyed-elf
Summary: Um, it's funny well I think it is..., it contains Sirius hehe and a bit of LJ. That should be enough for anyone. Mostly SBOC, RLOC but be warned it's the same OC. Rating changes in later chapters. R&R. My first posted fanfiction.
1. A Beginning

(Disclaimer; I own nada that you recognise, and probably also nothing that you don't. In fact, I own nothing but my mind which is entirely my own *grin*)

**Hi; just a quick author's note, this is my first posted fanfiction but I've written a lot of my own. Posting may be sporadic (I love that word!) as I go to a boarding school and the school computers block ff.net (I know; sacrilege!). **

**So. Posts at home, no posts at school. Got it? Don't flame me for this, if you must yell at someone yell at my school admin for not giving me more holidays.**

**If you want to mail me for some obscure reason, the email on my bio is my school email. My hotmail is shplat101@hotmail.com.**

**If you come across any odd formatting, it's because I originally wrote this with _this_ as italics…heh…**

**::This:: is thought; ::(This):: is a dream. **

**Hmm, she thinks. Shall I stop babbling and get on with the story already? Yeah, ok.**

"So, um…can you…I mean, uh, would you…oh, shit…" muttered James Potter, with feeling. He was making his third and final attempt at asking out the girl of his dreams, and things were not going quite to plan. He gave up finally and rather resignedly, noting with appreciation Lily's efforts to hide her grin.

"I'd love to come to Hogsmeade with you tomorrow." James' head jerked up. She'd saved him having to ask! He could have kissed her…only she might object to that, he thought ruefully, seeing as they hadn't even been on their first date yet. 

She was looking at him quizzically, obviously expecting a reaction. He gathered his scattered senses and replied, "Ok…um, great…see you tomorrow then!"

He nearly stumbled on the bottom step of the dormitory stairs, because the urge to look back at her had become overwhelming. Lily stifled a giggle; he ducked his head, blushing, and carried on walking.

Safe in his dormitory, he rested his head against the cool oak of the door and breathed a sigh of relief. _That _was over. 

"You ok mate?" came the voice of Sirius Black from behind the closed curtains of his four-poster. James stuck his head inquisitively through the gap between them to find his three greatest friends; Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, gathered around the greatest invention in history (in their opinion) – The Marauder's Map. 

"We're just finishing," Remus informed him, flushed with suppressed excitement. "Look – tap it and say the password."

James obeyed, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." The words made him think of Lily for some reason, and he had to fight to keep a grin of triumph from spreading over his face.

Sirius threw the Map carelessly aside, much to Remus' horror, and turned businesslike to James. "Right, what's going on, Prongs? You've got that look on your face again," he accused. Not wanting to spoil the Map's glorious debut, James shook his head and motioned for Remus to carry on. 

Nothing could have been more guaranteed to shift their attention solidly from the map to him – three pairs of eyes gleamed, three fascinated faces turned towards him, and their victory lay discarded on the floor. James gave up for the second time that day. "Ok Sirius, I can't go to Hogsmeade with you tomorrow."

"Is that all?" Sirius looked scandalised. James held up a hand.

"Because…I'm going with Lily Evans."

There was an awed silence. "Like, on a date?" asked Peter finally.

James lost patience. "No Wormtail, because she wants a new quill," he snapped.

Sirius grinned his lazy grin. "Congratulations mate! I thought you'd given up on her."

"Well I had, but…the situation arose, and there it is." James was certainly not about to let on that he had been too tongue-tied to ask her himself. 

_Diary,_

_Today was worse than usual. Lindsay tripped me up as I was coming out of Charms and my books spilt all over the floor; I was so late for Transfiguration McGonagall took twenty points from Gryffindor and then in Care of Magical Creatures, Lindsay and her friend Jessica got me in the back with a Stinging Hex and I screamed really loudly, then Professor Kettleburn took another twenty points, so now the whole House is mad at me for losing them forty points, and none of this is my fault! At least it'll all be over in a week. Tenth of July – the end of term. I'm counting the days in this diary. _

_Not that home's any better… _

_Now they're saying…something about how I never get them points anyway…the usual stuff. I try not to let it get to me too much, I try so hard to ignore them, but sometimes I snap. I get up, scream that its' not my fault no one knew about me, that I was forgotten, that I didn't get my letter until six months ago…five years late…_

_Now I'm trying to squeeze five years' worth of learning into three terms. I didn't have the time to make friends at the beginning – I've got even less of a chance now.   _

_Sick of complaining. Going to bed._

_'Night._

_Tulah _

James lay on his bed staring up at the darkened ceiling. It was midnight and, as he had just finished telling Sirius, his date with Lily had gone better than he could have dreamed. "You kissed her?" Sirius had gaped. "On the first date? Isn't that a bit extreme?"

James was giving the matter careful consideration. ::Of course it wasn't too extreme! She kissed me back, didn't she? Didn't she??::

"Sirius?"

The mop of black hair sticking out of the bed next to his made no reply.

"_Sirius_!"

"Aagh…?" Sirius sat up and looked around. James rolled his eyes; Sirius narrowed his in a death-glare. "You're going to rot in hell for this, Prongs."

James grinned unrepentantly. "Now that you're up-" he paused in order to dodge the pillow Sirius had hurled - with deadly accuracy - at his head. "Now that you're up, I want to go see Lily. Are you in?"

Sirius sat very still for a moment. He wanted to come with James – but there _was_ one small dilemma. James read it in his friend's eyes before Sirius even spoke. "Lindsay'll be there, right?" Sirius' face was full of pain. James said nothing. 

Sirius was in love. To the rest of the Marauders' anger, the object of his adoration – Lindsay Kerry, James' least favourite person in the whole house – did not return his affections…or at least, not to the point where she would allow either them to commit to a steady relationship. James watched his friend's bemusement with mounting fury as Lindsay let him get so far, and then backed right off again. At first James had been tolerant, certain that Lindsay was just…well…shy. Then it occurred to him that the most popular and sought-after girl in the school was hardly likely to be _shy_. After that, the penny had finally dropped. 

She was playing with him, James thought in disgust for the hundredth time. She was acting like Padfoot was an interesting toy, and his friend was taking it as a compliment. James fumed silently, so taken up in his own emotions he didn't notice that Sirius had come to a decision.

"Prongs? Helloo? Earth to Prongs?" Sirius waved a hand hopefully in front of James' eyes. James came back to earth with a thump.

"Yup sorry, let's go." He threw the Invisibility Cloak over them both and they left the dorm, walking in practised silence.

It was a well known fact that if you tried to walk up the stairs to the girls' dorms (and didn't possess the required degree of femininity) they turned into a slide; good entertainment on a rainy day, but a little inconvenient if you wanted to visit your girlfriend in the dead of night. 

Fortunately, being the Marauders, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had figured out the solution to this small setback years ago and were quick to use it to their advantage. "Levitatus," James muttered, dimly hearing Sirius do the same; both boys rose about six inches into the air and floated noiselessly up the stairs. 

Sirius watched James cross the floor to Lily's bed; the look on her face as he bent over her tugged at his heart. He tried not to look at Lindsay, but she called, "Sirius? You must be freezing! Come in here."

::Subtle, Lindsay, subtle…:: he thought wearily, sitting down gingerly on the edge of her bed all the same.

"Padfoot, we're going down to the common room for some privacy," James said quietly. The slight emphasis on the last word was enough to stop Sirius shouting, "No, don't leave me!" and before he could think of a better protest they had gone. Far too late, he realised that he couldn't now get back through the common room without disturbing his friends' peace…something for which James would quite possibly never forgive him. 

"Why do your friends call you Padfoot?" asked Lindsay. 

His mind elsewhere, Sirius fumbled for an answer. "Uh…because I have…hard feet. You know…Pad, foot."

::Wonderful, Sirius. Masterly cover-up there_._::

"Oh. Well…I have very soft feet." She ran one up his leg to demonstrate. Sirius surrendered to her and lay back on the bed, enjoying the familiar feel of her fingers running through his hair, and of her mouth curving into a smile against his. 

"Guys?" 

Sirius ignored the voice, instead choosing to slip an exploratory hand up Lindsay's top.

"SIRIUS BLACK, LISTEN TO ME OR I'LL HEX YOU TO OBLIVION!" screamed one of Lily's friends. He turned over lazily.

"Uh-huh?' 

"What was I gonna say? Oh, that was it…can you guys please make out somewhere where we can't hear you?"

"Yeah," added someone else. "Get a room."

"But the common room's taken," Lindsay complained. Sirius, while never opposed to a little making out, didn't particularly want to piss off everyone else in the dorm. With a sigh he sat up and ran a hand through his mussed hair.

Lindsay let out a tiny, disappointed sound.

He turned away from her crossly, solidly ignoring her mutters of displeasure, and fixed his eyes instead on the bed in the furthest corner. All he could see of its occupant was a small lump. As he watched, amused – how could anyone curl up so small? – the lump shook slightly. Straining his ears, he thought he heard a quiet sob. Not so amused now Sirius said, "Who's crying?"

Silence. 

"Lins, whose bed is that?"

"That? Oh, that's Tulah Page. You don't want to talk to _her_," replied Lindsay, her tone implying exactly who Sirius _did_ want to talk to. 

"I think I do, actually," Sirius told her politely. He remembered Tulah; the shy girl who'd only just started at Hogwarts. He got up and crossed the room to sit on the bed in the corner. Gently, he tried to pull back the duvet; it was yanked out of his hands and dragged even further up over its owner's head. Sirius shrugged, got up, took one step away…and pounced. He tugged sharply on the end of the duvet, which flew off the bed and into his hands. 

Lindsay gave a mortified scream.

The owner of the duvet let out a whimper of protest, which turned into a sob; Sirius was debating what to do next when the door flew open. 

Professor McGonagall stood framed in the doorway.

Without stopping to think, Sirius threw himself onto Tulah's bed and pulled the duvet up over them both. 

It was only when it was too late that he realised he could have hidden _under_ the bed…

He was facing Tulah, and he took the opportunity to get a good look at her. Dirty-blonde hair framed bloodshot blue eyes and tearstained cheeks. She sniffed loudly, glaring mistrustfully at him.

"What on earth is going on in here?" Professor McGonagall shrieked. "Miss Kerry, I heard you shouting down in my office! What do you think you're playing at?"

Sirius ignored the rest of the tirade; he was too worried that Tulah would make him get out of her bed and McGonagall would find him. Not that he minded another detention; he had reached a record, and he was beating James by three and Remus (an incurable good boy) by twenty.

Still, maybe it was better not to get expelled or anything, especially in the last few weeks of term.

"Sorry," he mouthed apologetically at Tulah. Instead of replying, she stared at him blankly as though she hadn't heard.

McGonagall left, having first shouted herself hoarse, and Sirius threw off the duvet.

Lindsay sniffed. "Great, Page," she said nastily. "Thanks for not owning up. You lost us another ten points, you stupid cow."

Tulah's lips tightened and her eyes filled with tears once more. 

"That's not fair Lins," Sirius protested. "It was you that screamed."

Lindsay's whole manner changed. "Oh, _Sirius_! I forgot you were here! Are you coming back to my bed now?" She patted the sheet invitingly. 

Sirius shook his head, feeling unsettlingly like a petulant toddler. "No."

"But Tulah stinks!" wailed Lindsay, sounding like a two-year-old herself.

Sirius sniffed. There _was_ a strange smell, but it was also kind of familiar…

"Who dropped the dungbombs?" he asked Tulah with a grin. To his surprise she smiled back, a tiny, shy twitch of her mouth.

::So there's a person in there somewhere!::

"No-one in particular," she replied with a sidelong glance at Lindsay, who snorted derisively and turned to talk to her friend. 

_Diary,_

_…It was so weird! I mean why would Sirius Black, James Potter's best friend, practically going out with Lindsay Kerry, want to talk to me???_

_But we did talk, for hours, long after everyone had gone to sleep…_

"God, so you have a pretty shitty time here then," said Sirius.

"Yeah, all in all…"

"You know…about that whole extra classes thing? Well, we could, you know, tutor you if you like?" Before Tulah could say anything, he carried right on, "I mean, we could ask McGonagall, I'm sure it would be ok…at least you'd be with people your own age."

"Slow down!," giggled Tulah, who had opened up quite a bit since the others had gone to sleep. "Who could teach me?"

"Well, us. The Marauders," Sirius explained. "James is a Transfiguration ace, Lily's good at Charms and Potions, Remus likes boring things like History of Magic and stuff…and I'm not bad at Defence Against the Dark Arts," he concluded modestly. 

Tulah's head was spinning. The Marauders, teach her? She'd never hear the end of it, especially from Lindsay.

She summoned her courage and shook her head. "No thanks," she heard herself say. "I'm better off alone."

_…I couldn't say yes, could I? And yet, saying no, I got the impression that I was turning down the opportunity of having friends for the first time in years. Who knows, maybe I'd even have fitted in with them? They always seemed ok…kind of goofy, but ok. _

_Guess I'll never know, huh?_

_Just you and me again…._

Tulah was sitting by the lake, having finished writing for the day: her chin was resting on her hand, and she was thinking hard. 

A loud bark echoed across the grounds; she looked up just in time to see an enormous black dog bounding towards her. It licked her face enthusiastically and she stumbled to her feet, giggling, to stop it from suffocating her. 

She dug her fingers into the coarse fur at the base of his neck. "What are you doing here, huh? No dogs allowed, you know."

The dog looked up at her with appealing eyes and whined glumly. She laughed. "Don't worry, I won't tell. I'm hiding out too, you know. Should be in Transfiguration. Only last time I went in there, Lindsay tried to turn me into a rat."

The dog let out another bark, which sounded suspiciously like a laugh. She gave it a shove, which had no effect whatsoever. "Not funny!" she complained. 

::But looking back on it, it was kind of funny:: she thought, surprised. 

A bell rang up at the castle to signal the end of classes; the dog looked up, wagged his tail in farewell and trotted away towards the forest.

_Diary,_

_…The dog comes to see me the whole time now; whenever I'm on my own he seems to turn up, tail wagging, to make me laugh by trying to lick my face off or eat my books._

_Everything else is the same, though. There's the Summer Ball tonight; no one's asked me, of course. I'll go alone and then have an early night._

_Oh yeah, something weird did happen this afternoon…_

As he was coming out of the front doors, James was gobsmacked to see Sirius, in dog form, bounding around someone's feet. 

Someone who proved, on closer inspection, to be Tulah Page (known to most of Gryffindor House as either 'the shy one' or 'that loser'). 

"Um, excuse me?" James felt a little awkward interrupting, especially as the girl was obviously embarrassed at being spoken to.

Lily caught up with him. "Hey!" she smiled…then stopped. "Wait…isn't that…?"

James willed her to keep quiet. His mind was trying to work.

"Yeah…Page, did you know that's my dog?"

Lily snorted; he kicked her surreptitiously. Tulah looked from one to the other, mystified. "Really?" she said noncommittally. "What's his name? Where d'you keep him?"

"Um…his name's, uh, Padfoot." He had to kick Lily again, because her giggles were overcoming her.

"He just kind of wanders round really," James continued, getting into his story. "I got him here by-" he was cut off by a shriek from Lily; Padfoot had stuffed his nose enthusiastically between her legs. Lily shoved him away, laughing. "Cheeky!"

James, however, didn't seem to think it was funny. He was looking daggers at Padfoot and Lily, noticing, said hurriedly, "He didn't mean it." James coughed ostentatiously and glanced sideways at Tulah, who didn't have a clue what was going on.

Lily seemed to get the message; she said, "Bye Tulah!" and began to leave.

"See you around, Page," called James over his shoulder as they walked off arm in arm.

"_Padfoot_!" bellowed James, striding into their dorm with murder in his eyes.

Sirius tried, and failed, to look innocent. "Um…" He opened his mouth and waited for an excuse to pop out, but nothing came.

"I. Told. You." James displayed enviable control. 

Sirius gulped.

"I _told_ you"" James repeated. "I warned you about this. You don't change in public!"

Sirius cowered. "I'm sorry Prongs," he muttered. "She was just…she looked like she could do with cheering up."

James managed to stay serious for ten whole seconds after Sirius had said this, and then he cracked.

"Y-youuu?" he howled. "Ch-cheer someone up?"

Sirius started to smile, then laugh. "Well I didn't do _too_ badly did I?" he said defensively. "She did cheer up."

"Riiiight."

"Right!"

"Oh, and Padfoot? Watch where you put your nose next time…"


	2. Dogs and Balls

(Disclaimer; I own nothing but my mind)

**I am aware that this story contains author's notes. They were put in before I even knew ff.net existed, because this was originally written for some friends of mine. Frankly, I'm just too damn lazy to go through and take them out *grin* so if you want to go complain feel free, you spoilsport. **

The night of the ball had arrived. Tulah was standing miserably in her dorm, wearing the dress she had spent most of her savings on in Hogsmeade that afternoon. Not that it would be much good, she thought miserably, since she wasn't going to be able to do her hair or put on any make-up to go with it.

"Lindsay, please," she began again. "I only want it for one night. Just give me back my stuff this once."

"Just once?" said Lindsay contemplatively.

"Yeah," said Tulah, hardly daring to hope.

"Hmmm…no."

"Who're you tarting yourself up for anyway, Page?" asked Jessica, Lindsay's friend. "It's not as if you've got any friends, let alone a boyfriend."

Tulah felt the hot, angry tears building up behind her eyes again. She jabbed her wand at Lindsay. "Expelliarmus!"

The hairbrush she had been wanting flew out of Lindsay's hands and Tulah caught it deftly. Ignoring Lindsay's scream of protest, she stalked into the bathroom trying to hold back her sobs. 

She wanted to fit in for one night; that was all. 

Though it probably wouldn't hurt to try and hold on to the hairbrush she'd gone to so much trouble to regain. Lindsay had been stealing her stuff since she'd arrived, and Tulah had never dared to complain before. She did think it was a bit unfair that Lindsay made fun of her for having hair 'like rat's tails' when it was Lindsay's fault in the first place.

_Diary,_

_So…I've been here about twenty minutes, after spending an hour in the bathroom yanking the tangles out of my hair and making sure my eyes aren't red with crying for once. Then, just to be sure, I dyed it. My hair I mean. Not sure why…no wait, I am. It's because I don't want Lindsay and her friends on my back the whole ball. Tonight, I'm going to have fun…on my own…_

_I don't think anyone recognises me. It's really weird. I mean, I'm not dancing with anyone or anything but no-one's giving me that kind of pained look or making fun of me, like they normally do. _

_Everyone else is dancing, and the usual couples are making out…Lily Evans and James Potter are really going for it…!_

_Sirius Black's dancing with Lindsay, of course, but he doesn't look half as enthusiastic as James – in fact, he's not even talking to Lindsay, he's laughing at something Remus Lupin said over her shoulder._

_Something tells me there's going to big trouble…___

Sirius was royally pissed off; Lindsay, although she had only _just _consented to dance with him, was going through one of her 'pay me more attention' stages. She was all over him, even though he'd told her again and again that he wasn't in the mood tonight. Eventually he simply let go of her and walked off, leaving her gaping like a goldfish in his wake. 

Remus caught up with him as he headed for the Entrance Hall. 

"Where you off to?"

"Nowhere," said Sirius shortly.

"Lindsay says she'll never speak to you again after you humiliated her like that."

"Right." Sirius wasn't listening. 

"You _are_ still on for that prank tonight, aren't you?" asked Remus hopefully. It was a good one, and they'd spent the best part of the week planning it. 

"Of course I am."

Remus nodded, reassured that his friend wasn't completely off his head, and left Sirius to it.

Sirius wandered through the grounds in the vague direction of the rose garden, hoping to catch one of his friends there. At least it would be a hell of a lot more interesting than what was going on in the Hall. Instead he found it strangely empty. Well…maybe it was a bit early; at 8.30, the ball had just started and most of the couples weren't there yet.

There was one person there, sitting alone on the steps down to the garden. She was staring up at the half-moon with a thoughtful look on her face. She was alone, which was unusual in itself; and worse, Sirius didn't recognise her. He was rather ashamed to find that there was a girl in the school whose name he didn't know… and decided to amend the problem as soon as possible. This resolved, he crept up to the girl and leaned down.

"Where's your boyfriend gone then?" he said in her ear, sitting next to her with a grin.

She jumped then twisted her head round to glare at him. "I don't have one," she replied coldly.

::What's wrong with her?:: he wondered, rather worried. Girls were never cold or scornful when he talked to them. They usually either giggled hysterically or tried to get closer to him…or both. This particular girl was doing neither. 

Then he got even more worried because now she was smiling, and Sirius Black was not used to being laughed at.  "What?" he asked, running a harassed hand through his black hair. "Do I have a spot on my nose or something? _What_?" he repeated as she stifled a giggle. 

"Y-you don't recognise me, do you?" she said between outbursts.

"Um…no." He was suddenly struck by a terrible thought, and quickly asked, "I haven't slept with you have I?" 

That did it, she was really laughing now; so hard, in fact, that tears streamed down her cheeks. "N-no…not that I remember…"

"Then _what_?"

She looked rather thoughtful for a moment. "Come on."

She was on her feet now, tugging at the arm of his dress robes. He stood up, bewildered. "Would you like to tell me where we're going?" he asked hopefully. "Just out of interest."

"Nope." She answered over her shoulder as she started walking.

For some reason best known to herself, his mysterious friend had led him to the fountain in the grounds…and now, even weirder, she had stuck her head under it. Sirius was starting to feel slightly unsettled by it all.

_…so, I took my head out from under the water, blonde once more – it wasn't even semi-permanent dye – and he kinda made this funny 'P-puh?' noise, which made me laugh again. "Oh, it's you," he muttered, all nonchalant, trying to make out that he knew all along. Then he got a bit mad because I kept laughing…but it was so funny, I couldn't stop! He got it in the end though, and we just sat and laughed our heads off for ages. _

_When we'd stopped he went all serious on me (A/N; Serious, Sirius, geddit? No? Ah well. B/N: That is a siriusly sad joke! Tee hee!) and goes, "So, why'd you dye your hair?"_

_"Because," I replied oh-so-tactfully, "I don't want your girlfriend to make my life hell."_

_And he looked all sad, and went, "She's not my girlfriend." And he told me about how Lindsay won't let him go out with her or anything, and how whenever he suggests it she just backs off. "I just don't get it," he finished. "I can have any girl I want…but the one girl I do want, I can't get."_

_Talk about conceited! 'I can have any girl I want'_

_Well, you couldn't have me, Sirius Black, even if you wanted me! _

(A/N; famous last words…oops, I'm sorry, did I just give away that otherwise completely unpredictable plot???)

"Still, never mind," said Sirius mock-cheerfully. "Term ends tomorrow…"

"Yeah…"

Sirius noticed the lack of enthusiasm in her voice. Turning to look at her he cocked his head to one side. "Aren't you happy about that? You get away from here at least."

Tulah shrugged and stared out at the grounds, her eyes rather distant. "I guess…" she replied in a small voice that told him that she really didn't. "Home isn't so great right now," she said quietly. "My parents are muggles; they don't really understand about the whole 'wizard' thing." 

Sirius saw the look on her face and recognized it; it mirrored his own almost to perfection. "If it makes you feel any better, home isn't amazing for me either."

Tulah turned and fixed him with an incredulous look, "But…your parents are wizards," she protested. "They must understand."

Sirius made a face and replied, "It's not the wizard thing that they don't understand."

"I'm not a dutiful enough son for them," he continued matter-of-factly. "Because I'm not ashamed that I didn't get into Slytherin and I don't hang around with my Slytherin cousins…and I _do_ hang around with James, Rem and Peter." (A/N; dirty, DIRTY rat! *Steam gushes out of ears*)

Tulah's eyes were wide. "Oh yeah," Sirius added. "And because I won't stop pranking Snapie." He grinned his famous cheeky grin. As he took in Tulah's shocked expression, the grin widened, "Ah…speaking of pranking, we're in serious need of a helper for tonight's prank. Would you like to do the honours?" He paused before adding hastily, "I promise I'll make sure Snape kills me not you." 

Tulah was still too stunned by what he had said to dwell long on his request. "I thought-" she whispered hoarsely. He looked up at her through his dark fringe, which had flopped over his eyes for the hundredth time that night, and she realised he had been trying to change the subject. "I thought," she continued more confidently. "That your life was perfect."

He laughed shortly - and an image of a certain large, black dog sprang unbidden into Tulah's mind. "I wish," said Sirius bitterly. "Here – yeah." He smiled through his resentment. "Here…it's as close to perfect as I can get. Apart from Lins, that is. But home," he said flatly, "Is shit. My parents hate me…my brother hates me…I hate everyone…I escape to James or Rem's as soon as I can, of course. But I have to go back first, you know?" 

Tulah smiled grimly, and Sirius found once more that her expression mirrored his own. "I know." ::And she does, as well…:: Sirius realised in surprise. "But you _can_ get away, can't you? Like you said, James or Remus would have you for months at a time if you asked them. I…" She didn't finish, instead turning to stare into the gleaming waters of the fountain.

"You can't get away," Sirius finished for her, his voice soft. She nodded mutely, and half-turned away to hide her tears.

Sirius felt awkward and out of place, not sure whether to hold her close or lend her his shoulder. The feeling of indecision unnerved him so he decided on something different. 

Half to cheer her up and half to change the subject, he said brightly, "So, about that prank…?"

She wiped her eyes, and turned to face him with a watery smile that was gradually growing mischievous. "I'm listening."

Tulah dragged her trunk off the Hogwarts Express, the feeling of isolation already growing in the pit of her stomach. As she walked through the barrier, she could see James and Remus promising Sirius that they'd write and that he could come and stay whenever he wanted.

::At least you can get out…::

Her mother was waiting by the car. She shoved Tulah's trunk in the boot, hustled her in before she could be seen by anyone respectable, and drove away. Tulah pressed her face silently against the window and watched the station fade into the distance.

_11 June_

_Diary,_

_Today I sat in my room…_

_12 June_

_Diary,_

_Today I sat in my room. _

_13 June_

_Sat in my room. _

_14 June_

_Room._

"SIRIUS," shrieked his mother. "Get down here!"

Sirius raised a tousled head from his pillow, peered out from under the duvet, saw her ascending the stairs through the open door of his room, and retreated back undercover. 

A second later his refuge was gone and his mother was standing over him. "Up," she commanded harshly. "Now." He made a grab for the duvet. It was whisked out his reach. "Your cousins are coming to stay," she informed him icily. "You will be up and ready to greet them, or you will not go back to school at the end of these holidays."

Sirius death-stared her to hide his alarm and climbed slowly out of bed, shivering. From pure spite, he pulled on a Gryffindor sweatshirt with his oldest jeans before going down stairs for breakfast.

An hour later, having been forced to change into a green and grey Slytherin shirt by his furious father, he sat slouched in a chair in the hallway waiting for his cousins to arrive. 

Sirius hated his cousins, Bellatrix and Narcissa, with a fiery vengeance. It wasn't only their attitude to half-bloods and muggle-borns, or the way they never lost the opportunity to ridicule him; it was the way the rest of his family seemed to take their side in it. All in all, he thought glumly, they were almost as bad as his brother…no, not quite. Sirius hated Regulus more than anyone else, except perhaps his mother.

His other cousin Andromeda wasn't so bad; but, as his mother had taken immense pleasure in informing him, Andry was staying with a friend and wouldn't be coming. 

::Don't blame her!:: he thought savagely, I'd stay with friends…if only I could…::

He was awoken from his reverie by the unwelcome sound of the front door opening. 

Opening his eyes, he found his cousins standing over him. Bella, tall and slim and with heavily-lidded eyes, was very much the leader whereas Narcissa - a smaller, blonder version of Bella - didn't seem to be able to think for herself but did almost whatever her sister told her to. 

"Having a nap, Siri-wiri?" Bella cooed; her mocking voice gratingly high. Narcissa giggled. Sirius sat up and fixed her with a glare of intense hatred…which turned to an ingratiating smile as his mother rounded the corner from the sitting-room. "Bella, Cissie, great to see you," he beamed.

His mother gave him a suspicious look before going down the steps to the kitchen to bully the house-elves.

"Trixie and the Narc," sneered Sirius as soon as she was out of hearing. Bella pursed her lips. 

"How's your muggle-loving friend Potter, then?" she asked. "And his mudblood girlfriend? And what about the werewolf?"

Sirius' mother appeared again at the top of the stairs just in time to stop him from leaping for Bellatrix's throat. Sirius stood back sullenly, his jaw set.

"Come on, dears," his mother trilled – Sirius could only assume she meant the girls; he couldn't remember when she had last called him 'dear' – "There's tea in the sitting room."

Sirius smothered a groan of despair.

It was the worst week of his life. Not only did he have his cousins to contend with, but James and Remus had both chosen this week to go on holiday and, wherever they were, his owls were not reaching them. Lindsay hadn't spoken or written to him since the night of the ball. Desperate for someone to talk to, he picked up his quill, grabbed some spare parchment, and began to write.


	3. Letters and Misfortunes Warning Rated R ...

(Disclaimer; I recently sold my mind to JK – she was in need of my genius, hehe – so I now own nothing, full stop.)

**All I have to say today is warning; this chapter contains shameless use of plot devices. **

_Diary,_

_Sirius Black's written to me! I can't think why, but it's nice to know that maybe someone remembers I'm alive. Here's the letter;_

_Tulah,_

_Hope this gets to you; I don't know your address so I'm having to rely on the owl, but he ought to find you – he takes his job very seriously._

_I'm really writing to check you're ok – coping with home, and everything. I'd say come and stay here if it's as bad as you said at the ball, but things are pretty rough, mostly because my cousins have come to stay (you might recognise them actually; Bellatrix and Narcissa Black, they're in Slytherin). Anyway, my mother and father love them, and they hate me, so I'm keeping out of everyone's way._

_The owl's name is Zephyr, and he'll wait for a reply if you want to write back. I assume you don't have an owl…? If you don't want to write just tell him 'no reply' and he'll go. _

_Hope this cheered you up a bit at least,_

_Sirius Black _

_Sirius,_

_Thank you for the letter; Zephyr is incredible, I don't know how he found me because our house is right out in the middle of nowhere. You're right – I don't have an owl. I thought about getting a job and saving up for one, but my parents aren't so keen on letting me out of the house at the moment. _

_Oh, I'd better go; my mum's coming; I can't let her see the owl. Sorry this is so short._

_Tulah Page_

_***_

_Tuls,_

_How are you doing? I've had an ok couple of days; my family's been out a lot. Remus and James are back from holiday soon, so I'll probably go to theirs until school starts again. I'll come and get you, of course. Get your trunk packed, and any day now I'll be over there!  Sirius x_

_I can't apparate._

_T._

_Aha, but I've got a motorbike…_

_S xx_

_Bring it on! T xx_

_***_

_Dear Tuls,_

_Are you ok? You sounded upset in your last. Things have got worse again here – oh well, school in a month or so. Seems ages, doesn't it? My cousins have taken my owl (no idea why, since he'll only deliver for me), so I'll have to borrow my brother's to get this to you. Don't take any nonsense from him. You'll see what I mean when he gets there. _

_Hope he bites your mum's nose off…_

_Sirius xxx_

_Dear Sirius, _

_I was fine when you wrote the letter, but not so sure now – that owl is a maniac! It didn't bite mum's nose off (better luck next time) but it had a bloody good try and now I'm grounded. Not that that really means anything because I never go out anyway. _

_Can't you just hex your cousins? I thought you were of age now? Lucky if you are, I'm not until next July. _

_T xxx_

_That's a very good point! I know you won't believe me, but I forgot. Thanks!_

_S._

Sirius was amazed that she'd remembered. Apart from presents from his friends, his birthday hadn't exactly been the most celebrated event at home, and he genuinely had forgotten. Having made this reprehensible mistake, he was making up for it with all the ingenuity he possessed. His cousins could hardly turn a corner without sprouting spots, or being covered in something slimy (and preferably smelly as well). 

Sirius was particularly proud of his Bat Bogey hex, which he had set up to go off whenever either of his cousins tried to enter his room. He had wanted to include Regulus in his stroke of genius, but unfortunately someone (he suspected Snape) had taught Regulus not only the counter-curse, but the spell to reverse it onto its creator as well. It had taken Sirius the best part of an afternoon to undo his brother's work; an afternoon which he would much rather have taken up working on something he was planning for Tulah. 

What he _didn't_ realise was that his brother and cousins were plotting their revenge…

_Dear Tuls,_

_Forgive me for taking so long to answer your last – I was working on something for you, it's in the parcel attached to this letter. _

_It's something the Marauders have been doing for a while. You can see it looks like a stone on a chain; a necklace or whatever. Well, it's for using if you get in trouble at all. You say a name into it – it'll contact any of the rest of us, we all have one, but I think you'd better use me because I haven't told the others that I've given you one yet. _

_Here's the catch – first, it only works in this country, we haven't been able to figure out why, but it means I can't get hold of James or Rem on holiday, which is a bit of a bugger. Second, it only works for twelve hours at a time…but that should be long enough for me to get to you if you need me. _

_Better go now, or the Narc'll be wondering where I am!_

_Sirius xxx___

Tulah slipped the silver chain around her neck with a shiver of delight at its coolness. The bluish-grey stone caught the light oddly and drew her eyes straight to it. She shoved it hastily under her top, making sure no one would notice that it was there. 

"_Sirius_," roared his mother up the stairs. "I know you're up there! Come down here at once!"

Sirius didn't move from where he was lying face down on the bed; nor did he bother to open his eyes. Long practice had taught him that he needn't get up until he heard his mother's footsteps on the stairs. 

_Creak._

"Damn," he muttered, raising his face a reluctant inch off the pillow. 

"Sirius?" Bellatrix's sickly-sweet voice floated up the stairs and in at the door. "Come on down; we've got a surprise for you!" Sirius suppressed a sudden and violent urge to kick the door shut and ignore her; instead, he heaved himself off the bed and trailed down, dragging his feet at every step. 

He paused outside the door to the sitting room, suddenly unwilling to enter. Any surprise his cousins and brother had for him was hardly likely to be pleasant, especially after the way he had been pranking them the last few weeks. He was about to sneak back upstairs when his mother's commanding voice rang out from the other side of the door. "Sirius Black, I know you're out there! Come in at once."

Slowly, hesitantly, he pushed open the door and sidled into the room beyond. Bellatrix smiled at him, though to Sirius it looked more like a sneer. He stopped short. The whole family was there – his parents, his brother and both his cousins, all smiling that same mocking smile. 

Sirius gulped.

"Look what I've just taught this lot," said his father cheerfully. 

Before Sirius knew where he was, three wands had pointed at his chest, and three voices had shouted, "_Crucio_!"

White hot, burning agony filled his whole body to the brim and spilled over to form fireballs of pain that exploded behind his eyes; he could hear himself screaming, but he couldn't stop. 

He collapsed to the floor, still shouting with pain, then passed out with blissful speed. 

"Sirius?" His mother sounded only marginally more concerned than usual, but the noise still provoked the same deep-down urge to kick her. "Wake _up_, boy." He recognised the bite of impatience in her voice and obeyed it out of instinct.

Her face loomed above him, and he was not too surprised to see that it was filled with contempt. "Stand up," she said icily. Sirius struggled, but his legs refused stubbornly to support him. Defeated, he stayed sitting on the floor. His mother glared at him. "I _said_, stand up!" 

"I _can't_," he bellowed, and then found that he could. He got to his feet and leaned on the table, hard.

"I cannot _believe_," his mother hissed, "That a son of mine has not even the strength to fight off the Cruciatus curse. You're pathetic."

Sirius, still fighting to stand and with his breath coming in harsh gasps, at first thought he had imagined her words. When he had gathered his senses enough to reply his voice was a dumbfounded croak. "_I_ can't believe that you let my own family curse me and then make out that it's my fault!"

His legs were trembling; though whether out of anger or weakness he couldn't tell. He drew himself up, scraping together what was left of his pride, and said shakily, "I'm leaving."

None of his family saw fit to comment. 

"I'm getting out," he continued more confidently, "And I'm not coming back."

Up in his room, he packed his trunk with one wave of his wand, grabbed Zephyr's cage and stormed down the stairs to the front door. 

His mother met him there. "Do not expect to be welcomed back into this house, boy," she spat, her voice colder than he had ever heard it. "You leave forever or not at all."

"Good," Sirius retorted. "I hate it here. I've always hated it, and I always will. Everything about it…" His voice grew softer and even more full of loathing. "I hate you most of all."

"Get out!" she shrieked. 

Sirius felt the usual exhilaration at having annoyed her; it cheered him up immensely. "With pleasure," he answered cheerfully. "'Bye now!"

And with that the Blacks' misfit strode out of the door, feeling better than he had for weeks.

Once he'd had time to cool off in the icy night air, he began to have misgivings. By the time he began to rev up his treasured bike, he was seriously worried. ::Where the hell am I going to go?::

That at least was easily answered; James had come backfrom Africa a week ago and was already urging him to spend the rest of the holidays with the Potters. Sirius would have to take him up on his offer a little earlier than had been anticipated, that was all. 

He fumbled at the neck of his t-shirt to get at his necklace, keeping one eye on the road. 

"James Potter."

There was a crackle and then – "Sirius? You ok?"

"Um, yeah…but I need somewhere to stay."

"You haven't left home?"

"Yuh."

"What, forever?"

"Forever," Sirius confirmed. He listened to James asking his parents' permission with a happy glow in his chest.

"Mum'd love to have you," Sirius could hear the smile in James' voice. "She also says she hopes you're not on that awful bike of yours."

"Well, I'm hardly going to walk," Sirius laughed. "James, I'd better go, I need to get in the air."

"Right." 

"See you."

"'K." James severed the connection and Sirius, feeling the thrill run up his spine, jerked the bike sharply upwards and into the air. 

He paused to savour his new-found freedom, and then turned slowly north towards James' house.

_Dear Tuls,_

_I'm at James'. Something happened at home, and I've left. Hope you're ok. S._

_Sirius,_

_You could have come and got me, too. You always promised you would._

_T_

Sirius was feeling guilty. He knew he could have stopped off at Tulah's house, which was the other side of the city from his, and he knew he hadn't; but he'd been so exhilarated by his freedom…it had been something in the air which swept his hair back from his face, something in the feel of the bike beneath him…anyway, he'd forgotten her. He wasn't going to deny it. And now, when he took the note from Zephyr and read it, he couldn't think of a thing to say. Guilt washed over him in the worst possible way and he dropped the piece of paper. He could hardly believe he hadn't thought of his only correspondent of the past few weeks. 

::God…I'm such a bastard. Why can't I just be _caring_ for once?::

_Diary,_

_He hasn't written back; he didn't come to get me. He forgot me._

_I'm going to forget about him._

A week later, Tulah had sunk back into the abyss of unhappiness from which Sirius' friendship had raised her up and she had already forgotten that she had once hoped to escape her home forever. As she lay on her bed staring blankly up at the ceiling she felt the familiar prickling behind her eyes. She closed them, but it was too late; two fat tears squeezed out and trickled down her cheeks.

"Tulah! Get down here now, you little freak," bellowed her father up the stairs. Tulah obeyed at once, apprehension fluttering in her stomach. Her father gestured to some broken crockery piled on the floor. "Is this anything to do with you?" he hissed. "Because it just flew off the shelf onto the floor by itself. How d'you think it could possibly have done that?"

He advanced towards her; Tulah backed away until she hit the far wall. She thought quickly; it must have been her fault but she'd thought – no, hoped – that she'd stopped doing things by accident ages ago. She stood her ground tremulously. Her father would shout at her, she would probably cry…but then it would all be over and she could return to the solitude of her room which was all she wanted…

…so it came a total shock when his fist slammed into the side of her face. Tulah let out a shriek of fear and disbelief. The next blow knocked her to the ground, and while she struggled to get to her feet her father bent down and grabbed a particularly jagged piece of the broken china at his feet. An odd glint came into his eye as he brandished it. Tulah, only just managing to stand, almost fell again when she saw what he held in his hand. The first slash landed just above her eye – she screamed once as a line of pain seared across her forehead, then again with shock at the blood which ran down into her eyes, obscuring her vision. 

The next time she was ready. She turned to the side, but not enough; the china plate gashed her shoulder and came away, a new layer of blood filming its pristine whiteness. Tulah cried out again; the panic seeping through into her brain was slowly conquering her senses. Her father abandoned the plate in preference of his fists; she curled up in a tight ball to protect herself, feeling the movement open the cut on her shoulder even wider. As the blows thundered down, unconsciousness began to descend on her. 

She fumbled frantically at the neckline of her shirt, willing the pendant to be there…::Please don't have fallen off…please…::

She had it. Even the feel of the stone, cool in her hot hand, calmed her and soothed the pain. Her breathing eased fractionally. Her father was still hitting her but the shock of his rage seemed to have faded. 

She relaxed, readying herself. ::One…two…three…:: "SIRIUS BLACK!" she screamed into the stone. 

"Wh-what?" her father stuttered. He stopped the beating, falling back a few steps. At the same time Sirius' voice crackled out from the stone in her hand.

"Tulah? Is that you? Are you ok?"

With a superhuman effort she dragged herself to her feet and made for the stairs, one arm hanging uselessly at her side, her whole body consumed with the agony of trying to reach her room…her room, with the lock on the door…

"Tulah? Talk to me!"

She slammed the door and locked it behind her. Her father's hand smashed into the other side. She forced herself to ignore him, and instead raised the pendant to her mouth with a trembling hand. 

"S-Sirius?"

"Tulah? Shit, what's happened? You sound terrible!"

"I...I…" She couldn't get the words out; everything that had just happened was running through her head like a video on a loop, clouding her thoughts. 

"Come _on_," Sirius urged. "I need you to tell me what's wrong," he carried on, his voice calming. 

Tulah took a deep breath, trying to arrange her confused feelings into something resembling words. "My-my dad…" she began. Her voice was shaking uncontrollably. She stopped again, but Sirius had already understood.

"_Shit_...Tuls, he hasn't hit you?"

"You could say that." There was bitter laughter in her words. 

Sirius needed to know no more. "I'm coming to get you."

They were the most welcome words she had ever heard. Her breathing had just started to ease when there was another ear-splitting thump on the door from her father. "I know you're in there!" he roared. "Get out here!"

"Is your dad still there?" Sirius queried. 

"Yeah," Tulah whispered. "He's outside."

"Ok, don't worry." Sirius was having a hard time keeping the anxiety out of his own voice. "I'll come for you on the bike…I can be there in an hour, if I'm quick."

Tulah was still panicked. "Don't cut out," she begged. 

"Ok…I'll stay with you…just let me get James."

The sound of his voice as he explained the situation to James made her sleepy for some reason…she curled up on her bed, closed her eyes and let the mist invade her brain once more.

"Can't you apparate?" James asked. "It'd be a lot quicker."

"I could…" Sirius weighed up the options. "…but how could I get her back? She hasn't got her test, and even if she had she's in no condition to apparate anywhere, let alone all the way here."

"You could take her with you…?" James suggested, knowing it was impossible.

"I wouldn't make it," Sirius confirmed. "Too far, and too much weight." 

(A/N; Umm…I kind of made up this thing, that they can't apparate with too much weight or they collapse or whatever... anyway, it fits with the plot.J) 

He came to a decision. "I'll apparate, check she's ok. You take the bike and pick us up."

"'K."

Sirius picked up his pendant again. "Tuls? You there?"

Silence greeted his concerned inquiry. Fear tightening in his chest, he called her name again. "Tulah! Come on Tuls…don't do this to me…shit. _Shit_!"

Brown eyes met hazel. "Go," James urged, and found he was speaking to an empty room.

Sirius appeared in Tulah's bedroom with a loud crack accompanied by an equally loud expletive. 

When he saw her lying on the bed he breathed a sigh of relief…until he caught sight of the blood. It stained the sheet in crimson circles, spreading out from a deep gash in her left arm. Her face was turned away from him.

Panic once more settling over him in suffocating clouds, he grabbed her shoulders and rolled her onto her back. Her face was covered in blood, dried and darkened. It was caked in her right eye socket, and it was still oozing from another cut just above her eyebrow.

::Ok Sirius…calm down…it looks worse than it is.:: 

"Tuls?" 

::Come on…come on…wake up…:: His breathing was growing irregular. 

"Tulah! Come _on_!" He shook her, harder than he'd intended.

There was a bang outside the door of the room. "Who's in there?" came an angry voice. "How the hell did you get in?"

Sirius froze. There was another crash, and the door shifted an inch or so on its hinges. Sirius swallowed hard. Tulah wasn't waking up, and her father was going to be in any minute. There was only one thing to do. 

He picked up his pendant. "James? Don't bring the bike."

He scooped her prone form into his arms and vanished with another thunderous crack.


	4. Bad Dreams

(Disclaimer; Alas, nothing is mine except the plot and a set of fast-approaching GCSEs…)

**May I dedicate this chapter to any English out there in their GCSE year. I feel for you. I'm doing five hours revision a day, and the result is not pretty…**

James sped into the house only to find his parents, crouched beside an unconscious Sirius, blocking the hallway. He knelt by his friend's head, sick with worry. "Idiot," he muttered; half proud and half exasperated. He noticed with interest the girl clasped in Sirius' arms. 

She was a mess; her elfin face was covered in blood, and her clothes were soaked with it. 

::So this is the girl Padfoot's nearly killed himself to save_._:: 

James wondered why. She didn't seem Sirius' type somehow…

She stirred, moaned softly and opened her eyes. When she found three faces looming over her she screamed. Her bloody face filled with terror and she backed away until she hit the wall. The pressure of it on her back seemed to increase her panic, because she cried out once more. 

At the sound of her voice Sirius' eyes flew open. He sat up; groggy and confused, and caught sight of Tulah crouched against the wall. Ignoring James totally, he dragged himself over to her and slipped an arm around her shivering shoulders. 

She rested her head on his arm; he drew her close…and she burst into tears. Sirius said nothing, but he rocked her as though she was a child, and she in turn clung to him, shaking with sobs. "Ok…" he murmured into her hair.

James made as if to come closer; Tulah hid her head in Sirius' neck. Her blood smeared onto his shirt collar. 

Ignoring her whimper of protest, Sirius let her go and got slowly to his feet. "I'll take her upstairs," he muttered. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience," he added as an afterthought to James' parents, helping Tulah to her feet. 

James' father shook his head, smiling. "Don't be ridiculous Sirius. Take her up to the spare room, and then perhaps you'd like to come and explain all this?"

Sirius nodded wearily and disappeared in the direction of the spare room with Tulah supported on one arm.

When Sirius returned an hour or so later, James and his parents were in the sitting-room. "You took your time," said James with a grin, "What were you doing up there?"

Sirius smiled; he was glad that James could joke about it. "I was putting her to bed," he protested good-naturedly. "_Just_ her," he added as James raised an eyebrow. "_Alone_."

They both dissolved into laughter. The tension in the room eased off, then vanished altogether. 

The next morning Tulah awoke to the sound of hysterical laughter and the smell of frying bacon. She stretched and turned over, noting with relief that the biting pains in her arm and face had receded, and that her bruises had almost vanished totally. Maybe magic wasn't so bad after all…

Ten minutes later, fully dressed, she popped her head round the kitchen door to find James and Sirius competently burning five rashers of bacon and some eggs while James' girlfriend Lily Evans looked on, laughing. 

"D'you think it's done yet?" Sirius asked solemnly, whilst behind him the pan began to smoke. Lily choked with laughter; James thumped her hard on the back. 

"OW! You don't need to kill me!"

"Sorry."

"You certainly don't sound it!" Lily caught sight of Tulah over James' shoulder. "Hi," she greeted her cheerfully. Tulah treated her to a rare smile.

"Have some bacon," Sirius offered, holding out the pan.

Tulah looked at the remains of the bacon and wrinkled her nose. Sirius looked hurt. "What's wrong with it?" he asked in an injured voice. Lily cleared her throat. 

"I think it's a little overdone?" she suggested. 

Sirius frowned. "No! It's perfect," he insisted, and put some in his mouth to prove it. The other watched him avidly. He chewed…swallowed…and looked up at them triumphantly. "See?"

Lily had turned a delicate shade of green. She grabbed the pan and tipped its contents into the bin, ignoring Sirius' scandalised protests. "Now," she announced. "I'm going to make us pancakes. You two…" she deposited both boys on a bench "…can sit down and shut up." She turned to Tulah. "Can you make pancakes?"

Tulah nodded cautiously, wondering what she was letting herself in for. 

"_Right_."

Having feasted on Lily's pancakes, much to Sirius' disgust, they took their brooms up onto the hill behind the house and played Quidditch for an hour or so. By the end Tulah almost felt she was getting the hang of it, and of them. When, every time he scored a goal, Lily turned James' hair bubblegum-pink Tulah learned to join in teasing him rather than gasp with horror. When she herself scored and Sirius extended the same courtesy to her, she merely chuckled and, after a whispered conference with Lily, turned his a particularly lurid shade of yellow. 

James snorted with laughter and nearly fell off his broom; Sirius didn't seem to find the situation half as funny. "Finite. Finite! _Finite_!" 

By this time James was laughing so hard that he either had to land or fall. He chose the former and thumped to the ground a moment later where he lay, winded, still helpless with mirth. 

Sirius turned pleadingly to Tulah. "Take it off. _Please_?"

Tulah obligingly flicked her wand and Sirius' hair turned black again.  Having carefully examined the parts of it which he could reach, he nodded in satisfaction…then he got out his own wand and flipped both Tulah and Lily upside down.

Tulah screamed. Lily struggled for her wand. "Let us _down_, Black," she snapped. Sirius only grinned insolently and held up both their wands. "Looking for this, were you Lils?"

"BLACK!"

"Apologise," Sirius demanded, "For turning my hair yellow. Then promise you'll never do it again. Then, if you're good girls, I _might_ let you down." He landed beside James and the two of them exchanged smirks.

Lily's face was turning red; half out of anger, and half because all the blood was rushing to her head. She traded looks with Tulah.

Suddenly both girls went limp. James stiffened. "Sirius! Let them down!"

Sirius complied, his eyes wide with shock. Once they were both safely on the ground Sirius and James bent over them. 

"Hang on…Lily's eyes are open!" James exclaimed. Before either of them had time to react, Lily had snatched their wands from Sirius' hand and both she and Tulah were out of reach. Lily exchanged high-fives with Tulah; now it was their turn to smirk. In a flash James had produced his own wand, but just as he was about to hex Lily, Tulah yelled, "Expelliarmus!" and the last wand landed in her outstretched hand. 

(A/N; she came of age. Don't ask me when.)

"Excellent reflexes," James complimented her resignedly. She accepted the praise with a gracious nod. 

"Well…" Lily grinned. "What should we do with these two uncouth gentlemen?"

Tulah considered. "We could hang them upside-down…"

"We could…"

"No…"

"No."

"Too unoriginal…" 

"Indeed." 

Tulah brightened. "We could tie them to that tree…"

"…leave them for a few hours…"

"…a few days…"

"…Let them cool off."

"Excellent."

They turned back to find the boys trying to sidle unobtrusively away.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Lily nodded her approval of Tulah's tactics; there was a flash of light, and both boys were tied firmly to the large tree at the top of the hill.

Lily squinted at the sky. "Looks like it's going to rain."

"We'd better go inside."

"Uh-huh. Don't want to get wet, do we!"

With that they walked off down the hill leaving Sirius and James staring bleakly after them. "They'll be back soon," said James confidently. 

It began to rain.

"They'll be back soon," James repeated, although the confidence had gone from his voice. Sirius was trying, and failing, to blow his dripping fringe out of his face. He crossed his eyes and squinted angrily at the offending lock of hair, which refused to budge.

At the sound of uproarious giggling both he and James looked up; Tulah and Lily were watching them from under a large umbrella. Sirius immediately put on his best death-stare; James glared at the girls through narrowed eyes. 

"NOT funny any more," he informed them coldly. Lily flicked her wand, looking suitably contrite, and the boys' bonds flew off. 

"Truce?" she suggested tentatively.

Sirius and James advanced on them, murder in their eyes. "In your dreams!"

That night, at supper, the boys exacted their terrible revenge (it included, among other things, live spaghetti worms). Afterwards Tulah and Lily went straight up to bed, exhausted. 

By this time they were firm friends, and they spent almost two hours gossiping before even lying down. 

When they heard the boys' efforts at coming upstairs quietly Lily rolled quickly over on her side. "Don't tell James I'm awake," she begged. "I'm cross with him about the worms."

A moment later James' tousled head poked around the door. He smiled at Tulah and nodded at Lily's back. "Is she awake?"

"No," said Tulah, winking ostentatiously. James' eyes gleamed. He went and sat down on Lily's bed. Tulah saw Lily's shoulders tense as James stroked her hair back from her face, then planted a light kiss on her forehead.

"Don't," came Lily's muffled voice. "I'm very cross with you."

"Oh, well we can't have _that_, now can we?" James murmured, kissing her cheek instead.

Lily turned over to glare at him and he took the convenient opportunity to kiss her on the lips. 

Thinking that this had gone as far as she was prepared to accept Tulah coughed softly and the couple broke apart.

"Still cross with me?"

"No…" Lily sounded disgruntled to say the least. James left, grinning.

"We'd better go to sleep," said Tulah regretfully. Lily shook her head emphatically. "No, Sirius'll only wake you up."

"What?"

"You obviously don't stay at James' very often. I live next door, you know, so I'm here quite a lot. Wait and see what I mean…when James has gone to sleep…"

They lay in silence for half an hour or so until they heard deep, heavy breathing from James' room, across the landing.

"Wait for it…" Lily whispered laughingly. A few seconds later, the noise started; it sounded like a cross between a car engine and a dying cat. "My boyfriend," Lily continued happily, "snores like a warthog." Tulah tried to stifle her hysterics. "Sirius is still awake," said Lily, sounding like a commentator at a football match, "…and he's tossing and turning…" Tulah heard the rustle of bedclothes and an exasperated grunt. "…and he's thinking, can he bear it?" 

"James, _shut up_,"came the frustrated whisper from next door.

"And he's thinking, no!" Lily was enjoying herself. "So…"

There was the creak of a floorboard and the sound of footsteps padding across the landing. The door of their room opened a crack. "Lils?"

"Come on in, Sirius."

He shuffled into the room, clutching a duvet and looking rather ashamed of himself. "Can I sleep in here?" he asked hopefully. "James sounds like an express train!" As if on cue, there was another thunderous snore from across the landing. Lily winced.

"Feel free. There's still one spare bed. That ok with you, Tuls?" There was no reply apart from the sound of Tulah's slow, regular breathing.

"I'll take that as a yes." Sirius heaved himself and his duvet onto the spare bed and closed his eyes with a sigh of relief. 

::{Tulah was back at home…and she was trying her best not to scream. Blows thudded into her back and sides, but to scream would be to give him what he wanted…::mustn't scream…don't scream…:: She saw him picking up the broken plate, and the realisation of what he was going to do tore the shriek out of her lungs unasked-for. The jagged edge of the plate dug into the soft, vulnerable flesh of her arm and pain exploded over her once more. She screamed at him again and again to stop; she struggled with all her might to break his iron grip; but to no avail.

Her father dropped the plate and began to shake her. His nails sank into her sore arm. "Tulah!" he shouted. "Tulah!" But that wasn't her father's voice…

"Who are you?" she asked, trembling.}::

"Tulah. Come on…good girl…wake up!"

"Who are you?" she asked again, dazed.

"It's me, it's Lily."

"And Sirius," added the person holding her arms.

"Why are you hitting me?" she whispered. 

"Nobody's hitting you, sweetheart," said James' mother, who was standing by her bed looking concerned. "You had a nightmare, that's all."

"Nightmare," repeated Tulah, to reassure herself. It didn't work – the shock set in and before she knew what was happening she was in tears. A second later Sirius and Lily both had their arms around her and she was clutching onto them as if she would never let go.

James shuffled in, looking confused. "What's going on?" He spotted the crowd around Tulah's bed. "A party! Am I invited?"

"Um…no." Tulah sniffled at him.

"You snore," added Sirius coldly.

The next day Sirius awoke to the distinctly odd feeling of water dripping onto his face from above. He opened his eyes and looked up, just in time to see a whole jugful of the stuff pour itself onto him with a loud splash. He sat up slowly, spitting out water. His first instinct was to go next door and rant at Prongs, but he wasn't going to because any second now James was going to get out of bed and…

"_Padfoot_!" James bellowed. Sirius sniggered happily. 

"Coming, Jamie," he carolled, skipping into James' room with his dripping hair plastered flat to his head. James stood in a pool of sticky syrup, which looked as though it had attacked him as soon as he got out of bed; he was covered in the stuff from head to toe. 

James glared at Sirius, but his expression soon changed to delight when he caught sight of Sirius' soaking hair and shoulders. 

"Oh! I forgot about that!" he said joyfully. "Thought you'd like a wash in the morning."

Sirius smiled disarmingly. "Me too. Syrup's the next soap, you know."

He fled, cackling, closely pursued by James' hexes.


	5. Packing

(Disclaimer; I own, as usual, nothing. *Turns to the Marauders* what do I own? 

Remus *obediently* nothing.

James: *rebelliously* nothing.

Sirius:*wickedly* I'm yours if you want me…

Me:*faints*)

**James: thanks…!**

**LauraKay: why thank you. I feel warm and fluffy inside!**

**Elvencherry07: haven't heard from you either. Hullo again! She might end up with Remus…she might not…guess…**

**Naoko-san: thanks a lot. Nice to be loved…**

**To everyone: I will update basically every day until I go back to school, at which point there will be a long and annoying silence. Read my bio to find out why. Also a warning: later, this probably should be R-rated. It just about hovers on the borderline. We'll see what ff.net do if I leave it as PG-13. Also, it will later contains Badly Written Angst. If this offends you like it does my beta, I recommend you stay away. Or at least tell me how to improve it.**

It was a week or so after this little incident when the news came; James' parents were going away for the last few weeks of the summer. "They arranged it before all you lot turned up," James explained gleefully, "And of course they can't cancel now." Lily did a dance of joy. "Have you told Rem yet?" Sirius asked.

"Yep; he'll be here as soon as they've gone."

"What about Caz?" queried Lily hopefully.

"No…on holiday in the Bahamas," replied Sirius. Lily sighed; much as she enjoyed Tulah's company, she missed her friends Caz and Anna a lot.

_Diary,_

_I was feeling a bit overwhelmed – three new people at a time was quite enough for me to cope with._

_I thought Remus'd be alright though – I seemed to remember him helping me with some History of Magic once, and thinking he was the best out of the Marauders._

_That was before I met Sirius, of course._

_Just read back through that, and sounds as if…well, as if I like Sirius. And I don't. He's a friend, that's all. Plus he's got Lindsay._

_Anyway, I was right about Remus – he's lovely. Blue eyes and blondish hair – like me, the opposite of the rest of them. But he's just as good at pranks, if not better! Here's what happened one gorgeous hot day when we decided to eat outside, and Remus and I volunteered to make the punch…_

"Great punch, Remus," Lily complimented, licking the excess from her lips. 

Remus smiled his usual sunny smile. "Thank you, thank you. I owe it all to my beautiful assistant."

Tulah took a bow.

Sirius and James, who had been surreptitiously watching Lily drinking her punch to make sure Remus hadn't spiked it, now gulped their own down, satisfied that it was safe.

James immediately turned into a goldfish; Sirius became a small rabbit, which twitched its nose confusedly. James changed back with a small pop, blinked, looked around and seized Remus by the neck. 

"It was Tulah!" Remus choked, struggling in his friend's grip.

Tulah fluttered her eyelashes innocently. "Who? Me?"

The rabbit, meanwhile, had discovered the jug of punch sitting on the patio. Before either Tulah or Remus could stop it, it had taken an investigative sip.

Sirius reappeared almost at once…but with a difference. 

The table exploded with laughter. Sirius frowned. "What?" Tulah pointed a shaking hand at his head; Sirius ran his own hand through his black hair. 

When he felt the rabbit ears he got a bit of a shock.

Remus and Tulah were hiding under the table from Sirius, still shuddering with silent laughter. 

Remus glanced up and met Tulah's eyes, they both smiled before Tulah whispered. "I hope he gets the ears off,"

"Sirius? He'll probably put them on James instead," Remus joked. 

They smiled at each other and then Remus leaned forward to press his lips against hers. When he broke away again, both of them were gasping for breath. 

"S-sorry," Remus stuttered, casting his eyes towards his feet. "Just wanted…wanted to try it." He turned and lifted the corner of the tablecloth to leave but Tulah stopped him with a light touch on his sleeve. 

"Want to try it again?" she asked shyly.

Sirius, on hearing that Remus and Tulah were together, looked up from his game of chess for just long enough to comment, "You work fast Rem!"

James didn't look up at all; he merely took advantage of the chance to slip Sirius' bishop up his sleeve.

"Right," Sirius announced, "It's nearly term-time…in three days, in fact…and we have to end the holidays with a bang."

"Hear, hear!" shouted Lily and James.

"I propose," Remus said quietly, from where he sat on the sofa with one arm slung around Tulah's shoulders, "That whatever we do this year doesn't involve blowing the roof off again."

Sirius looked crestfallen. "Well, if you're sure…"

James sat up. "We could go up to the point," he suggested. "With some Firewhiskey." 

"Not very explosive," Sirius complained.

"No," Lily said thoughtfully, "It's not in our usual style…"

"It's not even a prank," Sirius added in disgust.

"…But it'd be fun," Lily continued, ignoring Sirius as usual.

Sirius glared at her. "You just want to make out with James," he accused. Lily shrugged noncommittally, shooting a wicked glance in James' direction…which he duly returned. Remus' arm tightened fractionally around Tulah's shoulders. "I think it's a good idea," he remarked. 

Sirius, outnumbered and the only single person in the room, backed down with a rebellious mutter of, "Bloody _boring_," and the matter was settled. __

That night they went, as planned, to the point. Tulah had never been before…so when, at the top of a huge hill after half an hour's tiring walk, the ground suddenly stopped and gave way to the raging ocean fifty feet below, she let out an involuntary gasp of awe.

"Great, isn't it?" James grinned. 

Tulah could only nod.

They lay on the cliff-top watching the sun go down in all its burning glory. James pulled Lily into his arms, and for once she let him; Tulah laid her head silently on Remus' shoulder. Nobody spoke.

Sirius, sitting slightly apart and watching them all together, felt jealousy seeping through his veins. He suddenly craved the pleasure of Lindsay's uncomplicated attentions. It was with some surprise that he realised he was sighing. ::Like a lost lover:: he thought, amused.

"Look!" Tulah exclaimed. "We're leaving Sirius out."

Sirius jumped. "What?"

Everyone had gathered around him. "We're not leaving you out, are we Padfoot?" asked Lily, concerned. James adopted a saintly expression. 

"Not lonely, are you Siri-wiri?" he lisped.

Sirius promptly clouted him over the head. James ducked and aimed a blow of his own at Sirius' stomach. Sirius dodged that, and soon one of their famous boxing matches was in full swing. Remus and Lily began to commentate.

"…Nice right hook there from Mr Prongs, but Mr Padfoot's onto him; he blocks that and…he swings…yes…!"

"…And Mr Prongs is down, _lovely_ punch there from Mr Padfoot…"

"…Mr Prongs appears to be winded…but no, he's up…"

"Well, he was…beautifully well-aimed kick, Mr. Padfoot."

Sirius raised his arms in mock triumph. James grabbed him by the ankles and tripped him over.

"Foul!" bellowed Sirius. Lily and Remus consulted each other and came to the conclusion that it had been a draw. 

Sirius sulked. 

Later, around midnight, James produced a bottle of Firewhiskey. 

The first gulp made Tulah's eyes stream and her throat burn painfully. Sirius whacked her hard between the shoulder blades, which only made matters worse. 

Remus and James, having managed to finish half the bottle between then, merely lay on the grass laughing weakly and with a touch of hysteria. 

"_Sirius_!Did you have to do that?"

"…ha, ha, ha…"

"Sorry."

"…he, he…look at Tulah!"

"Toolah!"

"Toooooooolah."

"Uh-huh…that's my name."

"Naaaaaame!"

That was Sirius. 

"You're not drunk!" Tulah accused. 

"Not yet!" He gulped down about a quarter of a bottle in one go, screwed up his face momentarily and swayed slightly. Tulah and Lily looked on with interest; Sirius blinked, made a shuffling step towards them, and fell over. He rolled over onto his back, cackling with laughter. Remus and James joined him. 

The two girls surveyed their prostrate friends despairingly. Lily grinned and offered Tulah the remains of the bottle. "Come on…we may as well have some fun." 

Tulah opened her eyes cautiously.

She didn't appear to be dead…although her head felt suspiciously tender.

She risked moving it slightly and let out a groan of pain. ::Ok…just don't move, and you'll be fine…::

A hand entered her line of vision, holding a large mug of something fizzy. She grabbed it with both hands and gulped it down; it was foul, but it cleared her head fractionally. 

Coughing, she smiled at the person by her bed.

"Better?" asked Remus softly. 

Tulah nodded. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." 

He sat down on the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms around her.

"Memo to self," she said grimacing. "Never drink Firewhiskey again."

Remus smiled. "Hmm…it does have a bit of a kick to it, doesn't it?" he said, his face buried in her hair.

Tulah snuggled into his chest and raised her lips to his for a good-morning kiss. It was just on the verge of going a _little_ further than intended when there was a loud and meaningful cough from behind them. They sprang apart immediately, much to Sirius' amusement. "Don't let me stop you," he protested amiably. "I just came to say, breakfast's ready, and I wouldn't be late…Lily's not in a very good mood."

He directed an evil grin at Remus and left, sniggering. "Why is Lily cross?" Tulah inquired worriedly. 

Remus laughed. "Oh…she was the only sober one last night, so she had to get us all home."

Tulah winced, then they both went reluctantly downstairs to face Lily's wrath.

"Hogwarts letters are here," Lily announced, coming in with the post, her bad mood evaporating. She handed out the letters before opening her own. 

As she read, her face turned slowly redder and redder, until it was a deep crimson which clashed horribly with her bright hair. She pressed one hand over her mouth. "I…"

James looked up from his own letter, his face even redder then hers.

"Ladies, Gentlemen and Owls," Sirius announced to the room in general, "I am pleased to verify all rumours that Mr. Prongs and Miss Evans are indeed Head Boy and Girl of Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He managed to remain serious for all of ten seconds after his little speech, before collapsing into helpless laughter.

"Snape's just gonna _die_!"


	6. Diagon Alley

**Wooh, this is a long chapter. *love me* ^_^**

**To naoko-san; thank you for all your comments, they make me feel all fluffy inside *smirk***

**To murgatroyd; my sincere apologies. I know I am a bad writer when it comes to forgetting about characters, and my omission of him in chapter 2 is pretty much unforgivable. But I think you'll find in chapters 3-5 they are all either on holiday or at James' and Peter, well, isn't. Just because he isn't there doesn't mean he won't appear later on. I also find him hard to characterise, because he lacks the flamboyance of the others. If you'd help me on this, I'd be grateful. **

**To My Friend James B; you still reading?**

**Anyone else reading, REVIEW! Leave constructive criticism and modest compliments! I live on reviews, and I'm starving here! Naoko-san is my only friend!**

That day was the last of the holidays, so they spent it in Diagon Alley. It was uneventful on the whole…well, as uneventful as you could get in the company of three Marauders and Lily Evans. 

In other words, before they left all of their hair had changed colour at least twice, Lily had pranked James, Sirius had been thrown out of Madame Malkin's for flirting with the pretty assistant and they had had a long and messy ice-cream fight at Florean Fortescue's. Luckily Florean found it just as funny as they did, not least because of the amount of attention they were drawing.

"Well, well," came a cold voice. "The Marauders, I see, making fools of themselves as usual." They all whipped around (A/N; whipped? Get it? As in ice cream whip? HAH! My sense of humour exceeds even my expectations!) to find Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Sirius' little bother Regulus and his cousins staring disdainfully down their noses at them. 

A glob of ice cream slid down Sirius' nose to land messily on the front of his robes. There was a short silence, then James, Sirius and Remus all picked up the remains of the ice cream and lobbed it high in the air. It landed right on target.

The Slytherins turned tail and fled, trying to retain their dignity whilst dripping melting ice cream, and pursued by the Marauders' raucous laughter.

They were still breaking into short bouts of hysterics five minutes later, when Sirius spotted Lindsay. 

His face transformed; he shot down the street like an arrow from a bow. "Lins! Hey, _Lins_!"

James buried his face in his hands. Remus frowned slightly. 

"Unsubtle," James muttered, "Or what?"

Lily shot him a warning look. "I seem to remember a certain Gryffindor seeker running up to me _just_ like that only last year," she remarked to the air. James blushed crimson. 

"Lins!" Sirius embraced her as though there was no tomorrow. "You didn't write," he said into her hair.

"No."

Something in her tone made him look up into her face, concerned. "Lins?"

Lindsay smiled condescendingly. "Sirius?" she mocked, kissing him on the mouth. He relaxed fractionally, relief flooding his veins. "I want you to meet someone." 

She beckoned the 'someone' forward. Sirius was disconcerted to see that it was Walden Macnair (A/N; eeeeew! And yes, that _is_ his real name…it's in HP3.), a particularly ape-like Slytherin in their year. He frowned. "What are you doing hanging round with Macnair?"

Lindsay was laughing now, and it wasn't an altogether nice laugh. Sirius' stomach fluttered with foreboding. "I finally got bored of you, Black," she said loudly. People turned in the street to stare – Lindsay and Sirius were the second most celebrated couple at Hogwarts, next to Lily and James of course, and their potential break-ups were a source of some excitement to the students. 

Sirius couldn't think of anything to say. With his fellow-pupils looking on, there wasn't much he _could_ say…but inside he was in turmoil. How could she do this to him, when he had spent the whole holiday missing her?

"Why – why now?" he stammered. Then he saw Macnair again. "And why _him_?" he demanded angrily, some of his spirit returning. 

Lindsay shrugged, still smiling her perfect smile. 

Suddenly the sight of her face annoyed Sirius intensely. Before he realised what he was doing he had slapped her flawless cheek, much harder than he had meant to. He turned on his heel and walked swiftly away from her before he could do anything else idiotic.

Before he was even halfway down the street Macnair had caught up with him. Feeling the large, meaty hand land on his shoulder he stiffened, but ignored it. 

When he tried to carry on walking, however, he found it a physical impossibility; Macnair's hand simply held him in place. The crowd which had gathered around he and Lindsay before began to transfer it's attention to Macnair, sensing further entertainment. Sirius gulped. Being beaten up as well as publicly humiliated in one day was too much, even for him.

"I suggest," said a cold voice, "That you release my friend. Or I will make it my business, during the coming year, to ensure that you cannot turn a corner without being covered in dragon dung."

There was a titter from the crowd. Macnair released Sirius' shoulder with a snarl and Sirius turned, just in time to see James take a bow. 

Remus raised a tentative hand. "If I might add something to your admirable words, Mr. Prongs?" he inquired. James nodded courteously.

Remus turned to Macnair. "I know a spell," he told him ominously, "Which makes dungbombs drop on you as soon as you get out of the bath." The crowds gathered around them laughed harder. 

Remus winked at them, grinning.

"I still think I could have handled it," Sirius said grumpily. The others all groaned; he'd been going on about this for the last hour.

"Face it, Padfoot," James snapped. "We saved your ass back there."

Sirius was about to protest, but then he changed his mind and shrugged instead, grinning. "_Maybe_..."

"I s'pose a thank you's too much to ask for?" Remus huffed.

"Yuh!"

A while later everyone except Sirius and Tulah had gone up to bed. The two friends were sitting comfortably on the sofa. Tulah's head rested on Sirius' shoulder, and he was running his fingers absently through her silky blonde hair.

"I can't believe it's over with Lindsay," said Sirius in a tiny voice, a flash of pain flitting across his face. Tulah put a comforting arm around his slumped shoulders.

(A/N; I _did_ make it clear that they're really good friends, right?? And Rem really isn't the jealous type!)

Sirius' jaw was set. "I really cared about her," he muttered. Tulah nodded silently, and then waited patiently for him to be ready to continue.

The next thing she knew, Sirius' lips were exerting gentle pressure on her own…which were responding enthusiastically, quite without her consent.

She pulled away at once, pale with shock.

"Sirius!" she cried indignantly.

"What?" he said rebelliously to the floor, then looked up at her, so woebegone that all her indignation melted away.

"You can't do that," she chided quietly, meeting his eyes squarely. "A minute ago you're telling me that Lindsay means the world to you, now you're kissing _me_?"

"You mean a lot to me too." He was addressing the carpet once more. She gripped his chin with gentle fingers and turned it upwards until his chocolate-brown eyes met her blue ones.

"Yes," she agreed. "I know I do, and you mean a lot to me as well, but we're _friends_, Sirius. Just because you care about someone doesn't mean you have to go kissing them." Sirius pouted like a petulant toddler. "Besides," added Tulah softly. "I'm with Rem, remember?"

Sirius nodded, suddenly subdued. "Sorry," he muttered reluctantly.

"That's ok." Tulah suddenly grinned. "Not surprised you tried it…I'm irresistible," she bragged.

Sirius raised one unimpressed eyebrow with a twitch of his mouth that _could_ have been the beginnings of a smile. "Uh-huh…?"

"What d'you mean, uh-huh?" Tulah picked up a cushion from where it lay discarded on the floor and lifted it threateningly. "Apologise for that, Mr. Black, or you're in trouble."

Sirius merely raised the other eyebrow, his smile widening.

Tulah pounced.

The next morning, chaos reigned. James' parents, who should have been back to take them to King's Cross, had had their flight delayed…plus, everyone apart from Lily had forgotten to pack…

"Where are my socks?"

"Sirius! That's _my_ shirt!"

"Lily, I can't find my trunk!"

"NO! It's mine!"

"_Mine_!"

"_Where are my socks_???"

"Mine!"

"Sirius, GIVE ME BACK MY SHIRT," shrieked Tulah. 

"No! It's mine!"

"I can't find my _trunk_!"

"SHUT UP!" Lily bellowed. There was immediate silence. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Right. Sirius, Tulah, that's _my_ shirt," She took it briskly from Sirius' limp hands, "James, your socks are drying on the stove, and Remus, you put your trunk in the car, remember?" 

Remus stared blankly at her. "What car?"

"The one Sirius is driving us to the station in," said Lily in a strained voice. Her patience was wearing very thin and she was definitely not looking forward to being driven on muggle roads by Sirius Black, the boy famous for crashing his motorbike into the one tree in an otherwise bare field.

"Are you sure that's not my shirt?" Sirius whispered hesitantly. Lily death-glared him. "Ok… no… it's your shirt," he consented, cringing. 

They arrived at King's Cross after an incredibly uneventful car journey – Sirius only swerved once, though Tulah suspected he had simply been trying yet again to make Lily scream. 

They all piled into the only empty carriage on the train with ten seconds or so to spare, much to Lily's relief.  

Sirius, Remus and James threw themselves at once onto the spare seats; Lily set off on a quest to find her two best friends, Caz Bartram, and Anna Fitzgerald.

Half an hour or so later, the door of the carriage rolled open and a veritable crowd of people poured in. 

"Here's Anna and Caz," Lily announced. "And I found Peter." Peter, a small, fat boy with a rather ratty face, smiled. "Umm…hi guys."

There was a chorus of greetings all around; Tulah sank lower in her seat. She still wasn't used to dealing with new people, and so many at once just made her want to sink into the ground. Sometimes she longed to be invisible again…

Sirius slid down to her level. "Hello down there!"

Tulah gave him a rather weak smile. Sirius frowned. Tulah had been quieter than usual ever since last night…he wasn't sure if it was to do with him, but this was a good chance to find out…

"Is something bothering you?" he asked softly. Tulah's head jerked up.

"Wha-? No…no, everything's fine."

Sirius raised a slender eyebrow, supremely unconvinced. "Oh look," he remarked conversationally, glancing out of the window. "A flying pig." Tulah giggled. "That's better," he said approvingly. "Now, what's up?"

"It's nothing, Sirius, really."

"There's that pig again…"

Tulah sighed, unsure how to begin. "It sounds so stupid."

Sirius grinned and made an idiotic face. "Stupid is my specialty! Out with it!"

Suppressing another giggle and envying Sirius his ability to cheer _anyone_ up, Tulah obediently came out with it. "It's just…you guys all have your little groupie thing…" she struggled to find the right words. "I don't want to intrude," she finished lamely.

Sirius pretended to consider the problem, secretly relieved that this was all it was. He should have guessed this was coming, knowing Tulah. "Mmm…you're right, that _is_ stupid." Tulah turned a lovely shade of scarlet. "Well," Sirius continued, "You can, of course, go back to how you were last term. If you want to, which I take it you don't." 

Thinking of last term, Tulah shook her head slowly. "I don't," she confirmed.

"Or…you can hang around with us like you have all holiday without any of this rubbish. Honestly Tuls, don't you think we'd tell you if we didn't want you here? What about Rem? Do you think _he_ minds you being here?"

Memories flitted shadowlike through Tulah's mind; she flushed. "No…"

"Right! Problem solved," said Sirius cheerfully, getting to his feet. "Now, come and meet everyone."

A little while later, just when they had all settled down a bit, the trolley rolled around and there was an immediate scramble for Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and Chocolate Frogs. 

James and Sirius, having eaten all twenty of their own Chocolate Frogs and several of Remus', went on a 'sacred quest' for a turnip-flavoured bean.

"Gah, no! Brown bread!" Sirius choked. (A/N; How can anyone eat the stuff??)

"Peanut butter," announced James happily, holding up a golden-brown one.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment. Sirius, doubled over and still choking on the bread-flavoured bean, coughed, "C-come in!"

Silence fell. Sirius looked up, curious. 

Lindsay leaned against the doorframe and smiled angelically at him. "Sirius, sweetie! Can I talk to you outside a second?"

Sirius nodded numbly, apprehension fluttering in his stomach, and allowed her lead him out.

"What do you want, Lins?" he asked wearily, as she pulled the door shut behind them.

"You, silly!" she laughed, reaching up to kiss the corner of his mouth. For a moment Sirius seriously considered letting her…but the memories of yesterday, still fresh in his mind, lent him strength. He pushed her gently away, ignoring her whine of disappointment. 

"Siri? What's wrong?" she pouted. "I'm sorry about yesterday…"

"Are you?" asked Sirius, surprised. In the two terms he'd dated her last year, she'd never once apologised for being unfaithful to him. 

Lindsay wrinkled her nose. "Well…not for being with Macnair…but I'm sorry he tried to hit you."

"Oh." She hadn't changed then. 

"Siri, come on! I don't know what's the matter with you today!"

Sirius was amazed at her nerve. "You…" he began, and then had to stop and try again. "You…you were with Macnair yesterday, and now you're trying to tell me we're together again, just like that?"

"Umm…yeah!"

"…" 

"Siri! I'm getting cross," she warned. Sirius fought down the urge to laugh at her. "Yeah, and I'm trembling in my little cotton socks," he countered.

"Why are you being like this?" Lindsay almost shouted. "Me being with other guys was never a problem before!"

Sirius had had enough. "Never a problem for you," he told her wearily. "It was never a problem for _you_. Bloody hell Lins, you knew how I feel…or how I used to feel. You saw what it did to me, watching you with them…how could you keep on doing it?"

Lindsay shrugged, smiling her perfect smile. Sirius felt the anger welling up again, and for a moment he had to concentrate hard on not hitting her. With a final effort he thrust his emotions aside and forced a smile onto his face. "Sorry babe. It's over…on my terms this time."

Lindsay's lip curled. "What_ever_," she sneered, and flounced off.

Sirius rejoined his friends, grimacing. James threw a questioning glance his way; Sirius shook his head. "Tell you later."

James shrugged and nodded. Sirius supposed he must have told the others as well, because no one else asked him anything. He sank back into his seat and closed his eyes with a groan; rows with Lindsay had always exhausted him.

By the time they had reached Hogsmeade station Sirius had recovered enough to play, and win, a couple of games of exploding snap with James. Both Marauders tried every cheating method in the book throughout the game, though not many got past Remus and Lily, ever-vigilant referees.

"Sirius seven; James three," announced Lily just as the train pulled up. James let out a howl of rage; Sirius sniggered happily. Life was good again.

In dorm later on, Remus, James and Peter pounced on Sirius. 

"Ok, you've been in mourning long enough," James said ominously. "What went on out there?"

Sirius sighed. "I just wanted to finish it properly," he explained. "Lins didn't see it in quite the same way I did…"

James swore loudly. "That little cow," he said viciously. "I'll kill her…I swear, I'll rip her apart!"

"Patience is a virtue," said Remus cryptically, with his usual absent smile. 

James snorted. "Maybe…but revenge is sweeter!"

(A/N; Cue little devil horns on all their heads…)

Sirius was the first to grin; James followed suit. At the sight of their "we've got an evil prank to play" faces, Peter looked terrified and Remus rolled his eyes towards the ceiling, searching for a way to persuade them that getting into trouble on the first night of term was not such a great idea...

**OOH…what are they gonna do?? Well…if you're good little readers and review, I'll tell you…**


	7. Pranks, Kindnesses and Fluffy Werewolves

(Disclaimer: I think I missed this out of the last couple of chapters, so this goes for all; I own nothing but unrecognisable characters, my new hairdo – on my shoulders again…and it was just starting to grow properly, too *sigh* and an apparent inability to characterise or include Wormtail.)

** I mean seriously, if it bothers everyone that much I'll put more of him in, but I think that if you look you'll find very few authors have the talent or the patience to do so. He's in the next couple a bit more. **

**Murgatroyd, if it's a pet hate of yours ok, and I'm sorry, and please help me sort it out.**

**But James, I know this is practically the only fanfiction you've read, so get an overview before you criticise?**

The next day Lindsay didn't appear at breakfast, but one of her friends marched up to Sirius and hissed, "It's vile, what you did to Lins. You should be _ashamed_ of yourself!"

Sirius looked suitably contrite. "Oh, I am, I am. Tell her so from me." Beside him James bit his hand hard to keep from laughing. Tulah buried her head in Remus' robes, her shoulders shaking. "Will you also tell her," Sirius added, "That we recommend essence of Murtlap for the worst of the boils." James, Tulah, Lily and Remus gave in to hysterics; Lindsay's friend sniffed in disgust and stalked off. 

James thumped the table and tried as hard as he could not to gross Lily out by spitting out his mouthful of cereal. Remus and Tulah leaned on each other, their laughter subsiding into occasional bouts of the giggles. 

"Brilliant!" James exclaimed weakly, having swallowed the offending cereal. "Bloody brilliant! Moony my man, you're a genius!"

Remus waved an effusive hand. "Any time, any time."

"What exactly did you _do_?" asked Tulah, awed.

"Umm…can you remember it all, Moony?" said Sirius.

"Sure can…how could I forget _that_? Lessee…there was the boil charm on her skin 

cream, the black dye in her shampoo…"

"…the spiders in her shoes," put in James. 

"Yup, and that thingy on her perfume to make it smell like a different kind of dung every time she sprays it."

"Oh, uh-huh, that was a good one…"

"That hex on her hairbrush…"

"The one on her lipstick…"

"…eyeshadow…"

"…mascara…"

"Ok, ok, stop!" Lily held up her hands in defeat. "What _didn't_ you do?"

There was a short silence. "Uh…we didn't curse her breakfast," James offered hesitantly.

"Only because she's not down yet," Sirius protested, not wanting to spoil the glory of the moment. The others had to agree.

Lindsay didn't appear until Potions that afternoon, and when she did sidle into the room her face was covered by a thick scarf and the brim of an enormous hat, which also served to hide her new hair colour. 

The Marauders couldn't meet each other's eyes without bursting into fits of laughter. Eventually Lily was sent out, and the rest of them combined had lost forty points for Gryffindor.

Everyone, that is, except Tulah. She was sitting alone at her desk, hunched over her books.

Sirius only noticed this when he glanced over to see if she would pass his note to James.

As soon as he got the opportunity – "Get into pairs please, and start your Vanishing Solutions simmering" – he dumped his bag on her table with a thump and put a friendly hand on her shoulder. Tulah jumped a mile; she'd been lost in her own thoughts. She was so used to sitting alone and to keeping her head down that she'd been doing it without realising.

"Oh, Sirius, it's you."

"Well who did you think it was, Merlin?" He began to unload ingredients from his bag. "Could you get some Armadillo bile?" he requested, without looking up. Tulah stared at him. "Armadillo bile," he repeated, and when she didn't move he gave her a gentle push in the right direction. 

Tulah measured out the sticky liquid thoughtfully. She hadn't appreciated how much having friends would change things. Being sat next to, she realised, was nice. But equally – as the bottle tipped up and spilled brown gunk all over her hands – being asked to get Armadillo bile was not.

She washed her hands in the sink and went back to her place with the bottle, flicking cold water on Remus' neck as she passed him. He gasped and shivered, running a hand over his wet robes, then glowered at her. Tulah grinned unrepentantly as she sat next to Sirius, who was adding shredded dandelion roots to their cauldron and muttering to himself. 

"Armadillo bile, _sir_," she said loudly, dropping the little brown bottle onto the table and saluting. It was Sirius' turn to jump this time. "Ah! Page, you're a bad, bad person, you know that?" Tulah nodded, still smiling. 

She gestured in confusion to the potion. "I don't understand about this…what's it for?"

Sirius frowned. "But we did it in third year…_oh_! Right, sorry, you weren't there, were you?"

"No. Can you please explain?"

"Sure…well…maybe after the lesson?"

"Ok. When's best for you? I have extra Transfiguration at five, extra Charms at six 'till seven thirty, and extra D.A.D.A. from eight until nine, then at nine I really need to do some work…so…" she counted silently, staring at the stone ceiling in search of inspiration. "I can do seven thirty to eight, or ten 'till whenever."

Sirius was gaping at her unbelievingly. "No way! No one can do that much work!"

"I have five years to catch up on," Tulah reminded him quietly. "If I don't do this work I'll have to stay back a year, and I'd hate that."

Sirius' mouth was still hanging open. "When do you sleep?" he asked wonderingly. 

Tulah laughed rather bitterly. "I don't! Close your mouth," she added gently. Sirius obeyed without even noticing what he was doing. "I managed all last year," Tulah finished. "There's no reason why I can't do it again."

That night Tulah fell gratefully into bed, too tired to retaliate even when Lindsay's friends stole her hairbrush once more. By the time Lily had replaced it silently by her bed ten minutes later, Tulah was already asleep. 

"AAH! That was my _toe_, Peter!"

"Sorry!"

Lily sat up, her eyes narrowed to slits. "If there are any Marauders in this dorm," she said menacingly to thin air, "They'd better be gone by the time I count to three." 

"Does that include me?" came Tulah's sleepy voice. "What's going on?"

"One…two…three…"

There was a short silence, then, "This is the voice of someone who is _not_ a Marauder," said Sirius from the middle of the room. "The people about to appear are a figment of your imagination, repeat, a figment of your imagination. You are _not_ to hex them to oblivion."

"Or," added one of the 'figments of her imagination' - who sounded amazingly like James Potter - "They will never kiss you again."

Lily gasped in mock horror; then, having decided to ignore her friends' obvious insanity, she turned over and went back to sleep.

The four boys, still concealed beneath the Invisibility Cloak, crept over to Tulah's bed.

Or tried to creep…Peter had an annoying habit of stepping on people's toes, and their progress could be marked accurately by following Sirius' yelps of pain.

Remus shook Tulah gently by the shoulder; Sirius ruined the effect by yelling, "Tuls! Wakey wakey!" in her ear. Tulah opened one eye and used it to glare at Sirius.

"There better be a good excuse for this, Black!" she hissed.

Remus ignored Sirius' disgruntled muttering and sat down on the bed beside Tulah, waving a wad of paper excitedly in her face. "Look!" Neither he nor Sirius had bothered to keep their voices down; Caz stirred and mumbled in her sleep.

Tulah, used by now to Remus' occasional bouts of lunacy, grabbed the paper and placed her hand firmly over his mouth to shut him up. 

"What's this?" she asked curiously, without expecting an answer. She began to read…and as she read, her face broke into a huge grin.

I, Professor M. McGonagall, hereby give my permission for Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Lily Evans and James Potter to teach Tulah Page Transfiguration until she has reached the standard required for N.E.W.T levels.

M. McGonagall

I, Professor Flitwick, hereby give my permission for Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Lily Evans and James Potter…

Tulah flicked through the rest without even reading them, and then threw her arms around Remus' waist with a squeal. "_Thank you_!" she yelped.

"You're welcome!" There was a smile in Remus' voice as he returned her enthusiastic hug.

There was a conspicuously loud cough from behind them. "We'll be going, then," said James airily. "You coming, Moony?"

Remus smiled fondly down at Tulah. "Think I'll stay here for a while…"

As soon as their friends had gone Remus slid under the covers beside Tulah and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Happy?" he mumbled, leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers. 

Tulah grinned up at him. "Yep…" 

He smiled back in his shy way and tightened his grip around her marginally. "I thought you would be…"

She snaked her arms up around his neck and planted a gentle kiss on the tip of his nose. 

"Tuls…?" Remus said suddenly, just as she was about to move her lips downwards towards his. 

"Mmhmm?"

"I love you…"

Tulah was silent for a moment; Remus held his breath. "I – I love you too," she whispered, her voice breaking. (A/N; anybody smell cheese???) Remus, weak with withheld relief, pulled Tulah closer to him and kissed her as if there was no tomorrow. (A/N; what does that feel like, incidentally? I mean, I've been kissed, but tomorrow never really seemed to come into it…)

Lily, having had quite enough by now, sat up and said, "For god's SAKE! Either pass me the sick bag or shut _up_!"

Wearing identical sheepish smiles Remus and Tulah appeared from under the covers and Remus, dropping a kiss on her cheek, murmured, "I'd better go. See you tomorrow..."

"See you." Tulah replied and then fell back onto her bed, an uncontrollable grin spreading across her features.

**Sorry about the cheese, but you know it had to come sometime. I'm making it too clingy deliberately. **


	8. Sirius: Advisor to the Freaked Out

**My sincere apologies for:**

**The bad angst in this chappie, which really is quite bad. I'm useless at angst.**

**The sudden appearance and disappearance of Lily's so-called best friends, Caz and Anna. After this they kind of…vanish…**

**The shameless use of the hitherto unmentioned Suzanne as a useful but somewhat bewildering plot device. If anyone can think of a quick way of putting this right, please do tell!**

**Hey Naoko-san! I just noticed you're Japanese! (sorry, a little unobservant…) I have a Japanese friend, but she went back to ****Japan**** at the end of school *sob*. I can say stuff in Japanese but not write.  And sayonara is goodbye (wow I'm clever). **

**James; you bro has one? What, on ff.net? what's his pen-name?**

The next morning Tulah came downstairs with Lily, Caz and Anna to find the rest of the Marauders waiting for them in the common room before going to breakfast.

"Hurry up," grumbled Sirius. "The food'll all be gone."

"Aww, poor 'ickle Sirius," cooed Anna with a smile.

"Too right! Now lets' go!"

Sirius shoved the portrait hole open with a flourish, to find a crowd of blonde Hufflepuff girls standing outside. As soon as he appeared they began to giggle madly. Sirius raised an eyebrow. 

"News travels fast!" James laughed. 

Sirius threw his arms wide. "Sirius Black is single again!" he announced melodramatically. All the Hufflepuff girls giggled even harder; Lily pretended to faint, and the rest of the Marauders cracked up.

"Now…" said Sirius, eyeing the prettiest Hufflepuff with interest. "Would any of you lovely ladies care to accompany me to breakfast?"

Breakfast itself was very eventful. For a start, it took quite a lot of self-control to ignore the way Sirius kept whispering in the pretty Hufflepuff girl's ear, and the way she blushed a delicate shade of pink every time he did so.

"Sirius Black, Womaniser of the Century!" muttered Caz. Lily and Anna nodded their agreement. Tulah frowned; Sirius had never seemed that type in the time she'd known him…then she remembered what had happened on that night only a few days before…

"Oh yeah," confirmed Anna, watching Tulah's face. "You've only known him when he was going out with Lindsay, right?" Tulah nodded silently, even though on the inside she was burning with curiosity. "Well, before that Sirius was a bit…umm…how to put it…"

"A bit of a player," said Lily with a grin. "Just like James," she added fondly. Anna and Caz both made gagging noises; Lily took the hint graciously, and shut up.

"You talking about me?" inquired Sirius innocently.

Caz pretended to consider. "We're talking about a big, arrogant, ugly prat with no morals…"

"…In other words, yeah, you!" Lily grinned. Sirius made a face at her and turned back to his new 'friend' with a disgusted mutter of, "No subtlety, no subtlety at all." 

"If we're unsubtle, what the hell are you?" cried Anna, incensed, as Sirius slipped one arm around the blonde's shoulders, gently traced the lines of her face with his free hand and proceeded to ignore Anna totally.

"Oh, leave him be," Lily said crossly. "He's only doing it to annoy us." She turned back to Tulah. "See what we mean?"

James, who had been listening in, thought that maybe it was time to change the subject before the three girls between them reduced Sirius' reputation to tatters. "Tuls, your first Transfiguration lesson is about to begin," he announced, impressively but perplexingly. 

Tulah stared at him in bewilderment. "James, it's the middle of breakfast."

"And…?" he asked calmly. Tulah raised a bemused eyebrow. "Look," he carried on. "I figured that if you're having lessons with us then we may as well teach you whenever we can, and that way you'll have time for fun as well."

Tulah screwed up her face for a moment, trying vainly to see this from his point of view. "That actually makes a kind of twisted sense," she conceded in surprise.

"Good!" smiled James. "Now, as I don't think you'd better start transfiguring salt cellars or anything, you tell me anywhere you're confused and where you were up to with McGonagall…"

"Ok. So we'd done Animagi…" she stopped, because James had drawn a sharp breath and Remus had looked up quickly from his plate of toast. "What?" asked Tulah. "What'd I say?"

James had recovered himself by this time; Remus went back to his toast. "Nothing, nothing… so, was there anything you didn't get about Animagi?"

"James is _very_ good on Animagi," Caz grinned. Tulah had the strange feeling that everyone else was in on a private joke… "I didn't really understand why they have to register with the Ministry of Magic," she confessed. 

Sirius spun abruptly around with a bark of laughter; Peter shuffled uncomfortably in his seat; Remus smiled into his toast and James paused before replying, rather guiltily, "Well…so they don't misuse it, I suppose. And…in case anything goes wrong." Tulah nodded, satisfied…about her first question, at least. 

"Do you guys have anything you'd like to tell me…?" she asked, fixing each of them in turn with a piercing stare. None of them met her eyes. 

James had been signalling frantically to Sirius, who gave him a discreet thumbs-up and tipped the Hufflepuff girl gently off his lap. "Honey, I think your friends are calling you," he told her softly. "I'll see you around, ok?"

"Ok," she smiled, and walked off in the general direction of the Hufflepuff table. On the way she turned back towards Sirius, who blew her an effusive kiss.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Right…Messrs. Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs have something to tell you," she announced.

James and Sirius both looked shifty. "Are you sure we do?" James asked Lily, rather apprehensively. 

"Sure I'm sure," she smiled, her voice reassuring. Sirius nodded slowly. "I trust her," he said quietly, meeting Tulah's eyes. 

"Right…" James said, unusually businesslike, "Let's go to the common room."

"But we've got History of Magic," protested Anna. 

"Binns wouldn't notice if you set the classroom on fire," Sirius scoffed, "Let alone a missing student. Or eight missing students…"

Safely ensconced in the Gryffindor common room's squashy armchairs, Sirius and James began their story.

"So…we were in our third year…"

"…Young, carefree and innocent…" Lily stifled an unconvinced snort; she doubted whether any of the Marauders had ever been innocent.

(A/N; yeah, that bit is from HP 3…well, kind of…what an observant reader you are.)

"…We were in a Transfiguration class…"

"…Bit bored…"

"…Not really listening…"

"…When suddenly, McGonagall turns into a cat…"

"…Well, as you can imagine, that got our attention…"

"…_oh_ yeah!"

"And that night, Sirius goes…"

"_I_ wanna do that!" said Sirius, right on cue.

"And…umm…we did."

"Yeah. That's it, really."

Tulah was gaping at them, stunned into silence. "How…?" she began incredulously. Sirius waved her aside. "It was easy," he bragged…this time it was James' turn to gape. 

"No it wasn't!" he said forcefully. "It was bloody impossible." He turned to Tulah. "It took us two years," he told her, "But we got there in the end…"

"What do you turn into?" asked Tulah; once she had got over her initial shock, curiosity had set in.

James promptly became a large stag. Tulah gasped, awed; Anna screamed. "Prongs!" hissed Sirius, exasperated. "Not here! Anyone could come in."

James changed back with a smug grin. "C'mon, everyone's in lessons," he objected. "Your turn, Wormtail."

"Do I have to?" whined Peter.

"Yes!" Peter always objected, and it annoyed James no end. "Peter, nothing's going to happen." 

"When we first tried this, Pete got…uh…a little stuck," James informed Tulah while Sirius and Remus sniggered.

"Stuck! I was a rat for four hours!" Peter exclaimed, spoiling the surprise for Tulah, who had been looking forward to finding out what animal he became. 

Once Peter had finally been persuaded to change for them, Tulah turned to Sirius. "What are you?" she asked. Sirius, blushing, replied, "Um…a dog…"

Before she had time to say anything he had changed, and Padfoot – her companion of the whole of last term – was putting his paws onto her shoulders and panting apologetically in her face. 

Tulah was speechless for a moment; once she had found her tongue, she spun around to face not Sirius, but James. "Down by the lake…you said he was your dog!" she said accusingly. 

James shrugged. "I was hardly likely to say 'oh yeah, that's my best friend, he's a dog right now, but if you'll just wait a second he'll be human again'…was I…?" Everyone laughed, and the tense atmosphere eased somewhat. 

"Remmie, what about you?" asked Tulah a little later, when everyone's chuckles had died down. "What do you turn into?"

Everyone looked expectantly at Remus; they knew that he hadn't yet told Tulah about his 'little problem' – Sirius and James had left it out of their story because he was very sensitive about it, and rarely trusted his girlfriends enough to let them in on the secret. On the other hand, his relationship with Tulah was so exceptional that they assumed he would disclose it to her soon…and now seemed the perfect opportunity. 

Remus stared at Tulah, his face set, and much more colour in his cheeks than usual. "I…" he began, so quietly that she had to lean forward to catch his words. 

"What, Rem? It can't be that bad!" she joked, laughing at the look on his face. 

Remus tried again. "I…I'm not an Animagi."

"Why not?"

"Because…because…" The pause seemed to last a lifetime to Remus…:: I can't tell her, I can't. I won't watch the hate spread across her face.::

::But she's not like the other girls:: murmured a tiny, hesitant voice at the back of his mind. ::That's why you love her.:: Remus squashed it immediately. ::NO! I won't tell her. She'll never know…::

"Because I didn't want to be an Animagus, that's all," he said softly, dejectedly, and the feeling that he had done something terribly wrong spread through his veins like the plague. 

"Is that all?" asked Tulah. "Remmie, why didn't you want to tell me _that_? It doesn't matter!"

"Yeah…that's all…silly really, isn't it?" He stared at the floor, unable to bear the agony of looking into her eyes. ::I've betrayed you.:: "Look…I don't feel so good…I'm going to lie down." ::I'm sorry Tuls…I'm so sorry.::

"What the hell was that about?" shouted James, striding into their dorm ten minutes later with Sirius in his wake. Remus was lying face-down on his bed, unmoving. 

"Piss off," he mumbled into his pillow.

Sirius sat on the end of the bed. "Moony, why didn't you tell her?" 

"Was it because of Suzanne?" inquired James shrewdly, referring to Remus' last girlfriend.

Remus sat up so fast that he banged heads with Sirius, who fell off the bed with a thump. "No!"

"OW!" 

Both Remus and James ignored Sirius' steady stream of obscenities. 

"Come _on_ Rem," James said. "Everyone knows about that! Don't try to lie to us."

"I am NOT LYING!" Remus flung himself back onto the bed and pulled the hangings closed around him. James yanked them back…and Remus punched him in the face. James fell to the floor. "Fuck! Moony, what was that for?"

"I _said_, piss off!" repeated Remus fiercely, holding back the apologies he longed to voice. He hadn't meant to hit his friend…it had been the thought of Suzanne...

He remained silent on his bed until he heard them leave, then sat up slowly and rested his head in his hands.

::Suzanne…::

***FLASHBACK***

It had all begun a little more than a year ago…Remus, the quietest of the Marauders, had finally got himself a girlfriend, much to his fellow-students amusement.

"Good on you, Moony!"

"Took you long enough didn't it, Rem!"

Remus had been stunned, swept away by the depth of the emotion which coursed through him. When, holding her close and drunk with the smell of her, he had whispered, "I love you" in her ear, and she had murmured, "Me too," Remus had felt as if he would burst with joy.

Then, one day last summer, he had confided in her, told her the secret closest to his heart…and found out the cost of misplaced trust…

***END FLASHBACK***

::Suzanne betrayed me. Tulah would never…would she?::

:: Oh Merlin … I wish I could tell you…::

_Diary, _

_I don't know what the matter with Remmie is today, he's been really moody lately, and today was worse then usual. Something's up, I can tell…_

It was a Sunday morning; Remus had just finished Tulah's latest History of Magic catch-up class. "Excellent!" he smiled from the sofa, running a tired hand through his sandy hair, as Tulah completed the last of the notes with a flourish. 

"Do I get a reward?" asked Tulah, batting her eyelashes. Remus took her hands and pulled her onto his lap; she buried her head in his shoulder with a sigh of contentment. 

"I…" He kissed the tip of her nose.

"Love…" Then her forehead.

"You…"  He kissed both cheeks, then her lips. Suddenly everything felt right…Remus couldn't have explained it if he had tried, nor could he have told anyone what it was which made him blurt out, "Tuls, there's something I need to tell you…"

Tulah shifted restlessly on his lap. ::Now we'll get to the bottom of this…::

Remus took a deep, slow breath. "I'm a werewolf," he said simply, holding in the urge to plead with her. ::Let her decide for herself.:: Nevertheless, he still couldn't bear to look at her; to see the hatred in her eyes and the fear in the set of her face. ::Suzanne, look at what you've done to me…::

"Oh, Rem." Remus' heart went cold; this was it, it was happening again… "Why didn't you tell me before?" asked Tulah softly. 

"I thought…I thought…"

"You thought I'd leave you."

Remus nodded silently, waiting for the words which would tear apart his life once more…'I'm sorry Remmie, but this isn't going to work out.' He held his breath tight in his chest. 

"You idiot!" said Tulah, laughing. 

"H-huh?"

"Rem, would I ever do that?"

Something inside him was still waiting to be rejected, thinking that this was all a cruel joke, she couldn't be serious… 

The rest of him dragged Tulah into a huge bear hug.

"Remmie, you're crushing me," she gasped finally, and he let her go reluctantly. "Do the others know?" she asked, settling herself against his side and resting her head on his shoulder. (A/N; Mmm…cheeeeese…and fluff…*drool*). "About you, I mean."

"Yes. They found out in third year, that's why they're Animagi. They keep me company when…"

"At full moon?"

"Yeah…then…" Remus' voice trailed away; Tulah shivered. "Is it – painful?" she asked hesitantly. 

"You have no idea," said Remus quietly. "I was bitten when I was four…I used to scream every time I saw the moon, even when it wasn't full…but Prongs and Padfoot make it all easier somehow. I don't bite myself when they're around and I'm almost in control again."

"You don't attack them then?"

"We don't bite animals," Remus informed her with a smile. "As you would know, Miss Page, if you had studied the chapter on werewolves when I asked you to last week for D.A.D.A."

Tulah blushed. "Sorry, oh all-knowing one!"

James and Lily, coming into the common room five minutes later, were not surprised to see Tulah and Remus both still engrossed in their books…although they _were_ just a little annoyed that Sirius had brought his Hufflepuff girlfriend into _their_ common room merely to alleviate the boredom of making out in the Astronomy Tower.

"Oi! Padfoot! Get a room, can't you?" hissed James.

Sirius grinned, triumphant at having once more annoyed his friends to the brink of insanity. "I've got one, thanks. Very nice one too," he added, looking approvingly around at the cosy armchairs and crackling fire.

"Well then," Lily snapped, "Get an _empty_ room."

Sirius looked crestfallen. "But that's so boring!"

James was sick to death of Sirius, who had been steadily working his way through the whole of Hufflepuff house's female population and was now showing signs of moving onto Ravenclaw.

"Padfoot?" he said sweetly. "Maybe you'd like to introduce us to your new girlfriend?"

"Umm…yeah…" Sirius shifted uneasily in the girl's arms. "Guys, this is…uh…Helen?" he guessed. 

"Sarah," she corrected with a giggle, tossing her chestnut hair out of her face. 

"That's it!" said Sirius and gave her butt a celebratory squeeze, making her squeal.

Lily and James left them to it.

_Diary,_

_I can't believe how much easier everything's become; what with having extra classes with my friends, and having James, Sirius and Rem to stop Lindsay bothering me I don't have anything to worry about any more!_

_Except Remmie…ever since he told me about the werewolf thing, he's been…well…distant, I suppose. I wondered if it was because it was nearly full moon, but I asked Sirius and he says it was about a week ago._

_I don't know what else could be wrong…is it something about me? I thought Rem knew I didn't mind about him. Lily says I should talk to him about it, but what if it is me? What would I do then?_

"Sirius…?"

Sirius tore his mind away from happy contemplation ::Merlin, check out the legs on that blonde across the room!::

"Mmm?" he said absently, still half lost in thought. ::And the little brunette over there isn't bad either…::

"I need to talk to you," Tulah blurted out. Sirius awoke properly with a start. "Sorry, what?"

"Siri_us_!" Tulah stamped her foot crossly. "This is serious. Pay attention." Sirius obeyed, and put on his best 'I'm-listening-to-you-yes-I-am' look. "It's about Remus," began Tulah. 

Sirius dropped the stupid look at once, and started to pay real attention. "What? You haven't broken up or anything, have you?" Being himself incapable of having a relationship which lasted longer than a week, Sirius was always very eager to preserve his friends'. 

Tulah sighed. "No…it's not that…it's just…ever since he told me about the werewolf thing, he's been really remote with me. I don't know what's wrong…is it something I've done?"

Sirius' sigh mirrored Tulah's own; he had been afraid this would happen. Remus was so sensitive about his lycanthropy that it was sometimes difficult to know what to say when he went off on one of his frequent guilt trips. ::Not surprising, the amount of shit he puts up with:: 

He thought hard before replying carefully to Tulah, "It's nothing you've done Tuls…it's just, Rem's very… aware of what he is. Too much so, now and again," he added pensively.

"So, what should I do?" she asked after a moment, because Sirius had sunk into a meditative silence. He jerked into attentiveness and shrugged. "Nothing you _can_ do. He'll get over himself." ::Hopefully before it's too late::

**Dun dun duhhhhh…ah well, I guess you all already know what's gonna happen. **

**BTW, I'm sorry if posting is a bit slow, my computer disconnects every time I'm on the internet for more than about ten seconds so I have to re-connect every time I do anything which is ANNOYING!**


	9. Angst and Lapdancing

(Disclaimer: this also goes for whatever chapters I've forgotten to put disclaimers in. I own nothing, as usual. Well, I own Sirius Rem and James (and Pete I guess) in my head of course, but alas cruel fate had taken them from me…)

**My apologies once more for my pathetic attempts at angst, it's necessary to the plotline but myself I'm more of an irony/sarcasm girl.**

**Oh my god! Just checked and I've got ELEVEN new reviews! I love you guys! I feel all warm and fluffy! **

**@Naoko-san: lol. It's the whole ja ne thing I guess!**

**@LauraKay; why thank you. I feel better about the Pete thing now. But I am trying to include him more…**

**And you should know if Tulah knows about Rem by now! I think I just assumed that if James knew, Lily knew since all that really happens before the story starts (maybe I should write a prequel…?)**

**@James; damn. Tell him to post. I want to read it!**

**@nyx nyght: wow, a new reviewer! Thanks, I like OC stories a lot too. Especially for Sirius and Remus. **

**@elvencherry07; yeah, he is just a little hormone-driven I guess…just wait till you see the should-be-R-rated bit! You'll never forgive him!**

_Diary,_

_Rem barely speaks to me now…and when he does it's only to tell me where I went wrong on the History of Magic test he set me, or exactly what a Bouncing Bulb does. _

_We haven't kissed for ages. _

_I don't know what to do. I'm going to have to talk to him about this. Sometime… but not yet…_

A week or so later James, Lily, Peter, Caz and Anna were all finishing breakfast when Sirius pelted into the Great Hall, skidded to a halt by the Gryffindor table and sat down, at the same time shoving his fringe out of his eyes and stuffing half a slice of toast into his mouth.

"Mmph!" he said urgently, through his mouthful.

"Yes, classes do start in five minutes," Lily informed him tartly. "And yes, you will get detention of you're late for Transfiguration again."

Sirius shook his head violently and swallowed the toast with a tremendous effort. Unfortunately, this triggered a fit of violent coughing which didn't help matters. "*Cough* Tulah and *cough* Rem…" he began, but the rest of his speech was obscured by spluttering and choking. 

Lily patted him on the back. "Take your time."

Finally he managed to come out with, "Tulah…and Remus…broke up…"

A deep hush descended over the entire table. "What?" whispered Lily.

"No _way_!" James gasped. "They can't have!"

"Not Rem and Tuls," objected Anna disbelievingly…but one of the objects of her disbelief was approaching down the Hall, her face flushed and her eyes rather red.

"Hey guys," said Tulah wearily, sitting down opposite Sirius and reaching for some toast. "I see Sirius has told you."

"Tuls…" Lily began, but Tulah shook her head. 

"I really, _really_ don't want to talk about it, ok? Please, Lil?" she added before Lily could protest. They finished their meal in silence, and left the Great Hall for lessons in an equally subdued way. No one asked why Remus hadn't made an appearance. 

***FLASHBACK***

((Early that morning, when it's still dark…))

"Remmie?" ventured Tulah, peering into the gloomy common room, meaning to ask him about the homework he'd set her on Ancient Runes. Remus sat up from where he had been asleep on a sofa. "That you, Tuls?" 

"Are you ok?" she asked softly, seating herself beside him. He settled his head comfortably in her lap. "You look terrible. It was full moon last night, wasn't it?" Remus smiled sourly. "I'm fine," he assured her, rather coldly. "Thanks for asking." He sounded somehow insincere. 

Tulah had had enough. ::Ask him _now_::

"Rem, what the hell is wrong with you?" ::Shit, that sounded harsh. I didn't mean it that way…:: She tried again. "Sorry…that came out wrong."

"What did you mean to say?" inquired Remus quietly, his usual calm conduct not at all disturbed by her outburst.

"I meant to say…that…Ifeellikeyou'reignoringme." The sentence had poured from her mouth in an incomprehensible stream; nevertheless, Remus seemed to understand. 

"I know," he replied, so quietly that Tulah had to strain to hear him.

"What?"

"I know I've been ignoring you this whole week; I'm sorry. I've been…preoccupied lately, what with the moon and all. Can you forgive me?"

A part of Tulah wanted nothing more than to accept his apology, give him a big hug and forget about it all. Unfortunately the rest of her knew that he'd ignored her for the whole month, not just this last week…something else was wrong, and she had to find out what it was. Hiding the tears which sprang into her eyes, she shook her head slowly. Before she could stop it one of the tears rolled silently down her pale cheek.

At the sight of her tears Remus' control broke. He wrapped his arms around her, like he used to do…

::Wait…remember what you promised yourself.:: said a low voice at the back of his mind. ::Let go…::

Remus pulled away at once as if he'd been burned; Tulah swallowed fresh sobs.

"S-see?"

"Yeah…I see…" Remus felt a chill of dread sweep over him. So, she had noticed what he had been barely aware of himself…no, that wasn't true. ::I'm not good enough for you…::

The thought had materialised before he had noticed it; finally, he became fully conscious of the feelings he had kept bottled up for more than a month – and what was worse, he was pretty sure he had just voiced them. 

Tulah stared at him, confusion written in every line of her face.

"What did you say?"

Remus, having decided that perhaps coming out with it hadn't been such a bad idea, repeated his sentiments with uncharacteristic defiance. "I'm not good enough for you. Look at me, I'm a werewolf". He indicated the faint streaks of silver, barely visible, in his hair.

"I can see that," Tulah replied calmly, the tiniest trace of a smile beginning to play around her lips. 

"I'm a _monster_!" Remus tried in vain to make her understand. "You know; run, scream, hide from the beast, it'll come and get you. _I'll_ come and get you."

Tulah was prepared to stand her ground; in fact, right up until that moment she had every intention of laughing the whole thing off.

Right up until the moment when she saw something shifting behind his eyes…something not Remus…and try as she might, she couldn't keep the fear from her face.

Remus saw it, and she knew he had seen it.

"You see?" he said wearily, as Tulah bowed her head in silent defeat. "I couldn't stop him, just then…he wanted out. It's the moon, you know." He gestured to the window and into the sky where the moon hung, an almost perfect orb of liquid silver, for all the world as if this was Astronomy and he was telling her yet another useless fact, to be noted down and forgotten.

"I'm sorry…for everything," Tulah whispered. It was a meaningless apology, for a wrong which was no fault of her own, but he appreciated it all the same. 

"There was nothing you could have done." Suddenly he wanted desperately to make her see that none of this had been her doing. ::I need someone who loves all of me…:: The wolf stirred once more inside him; once more he saw her through the wolf's eyes, as quarry. Remus shuddered. ::…Even _him_…::

He rose quickly to his feet and left the common room before she could see the single tear glistening in the corner of one amber eye. ::Just like Suzanne…::

Tulah sat on the sofa, in the dark, in total silence, clutching her books to her chest.

Then suddenly, without warning, she buried her head in her cold hands and cried her heart out.

*******END FLASHBACK***

Tulah tossed and turned with restive insomnia, unable to prevent a stream of painful memories from running through her mind; overcome, she pulled her pillow over her head and sobbed.

Suddenly the dorm seemed unbearably close and stuffy – the heat was pressing uncomfortably in on her. She slid slowly out of bed, careful not to wake her dorm-mates, and padded downstairs to the Gryffindor common room, letting out a sigh of satisfaction as the cool air hit her.

::I wonder if Remmie's awake now…::

Deep in thought, she sank down into one of the squishy armchairs without noticing that it was already occupied. "Hey, I didn't ask for a lapdance!" protested an amused voice. Tulah leapt to her feet with a shriek. "Woah! Calm down, it's only me," said Sirius, still grinning. He patted his lap invitingly. "Sit back down if you like." Tulah obeyed, frowning suspiciously. Sirius ignored the frown – he was much more preoccupied by her red eyes.

"Have you been crying again?" he asked sternly, lifting her around to face him. She nodded guiltily. "I couldn't help it."

"You've been quiet today," he commented, after a short pause. Tulah snorted incredulously. "Hardly surprising," she replied acidly. Sirius drew a sharp breath; mainly because he realised how severely he had managed to put his foot in it, but partly because Tulah, wriggling uncomfortably, had jabbed an elbow into his stomach. "Oof!" he observed eloquently. "Did you have to do that?"

"Well, you were the one who made me sit on your lap in the first place," Tulah snapped, aggravated with him – and by no means for the first time that day.

Sirius knew he was getting on her nerves; more than that, he was behaving like the most insensitive prat in the universe. He couldn't help it; she still refused to tell him what had happened between her and Remus and he wasn't going to rest until he knew, because if Remus had hurt her, Sirius was going to take his neck and…

"Do you really want to know?" asked Tulah, staring into the fire. Sirius didn't ask how she knew what he was thinking about, because she had been able to read his mind with disturbing accuracy since the beginning of term.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"The all-important question," said Sirius, with a smile that she did not return. "I want to know, sweetheart, because you've been looking like a depressed codfish all day, and neither you nor Moony will say anything to the rest of us."

The somewhat unusual simile had surprised a laugh out of her, which had been Sirius' main objective in the first place. 

"Now, I believe you had something to tell me…?"

An hour or so later Sirius deposited a sleeping Tulah in her bed, pulled her duvet up to her neck and planted a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"'Night," he muttered as he left, closing the door behind him. 

"Night Sirius," Tulah replied softly as soon as he was out of earshot, a tiny smile playing around the corners of her mouth.

_Diary,_

_Term ends tomorrow. Sirius, James, Lily, Pete and I are staying at school;_

_Remus isn't._

_I suppose it's for the best really. We haven't spoken to each other since that night…whenever he enters a room I leave it, and he does the same. Maybe this way we can get over each other._

_Strange; ever since Remus and I broke up, all the Gryffindor boys have been very…how to say this…attentive to me. Not the Marauders, of course, but all the rest. I suppose it comes with having friends, and being single. Odd, isn't it! _

_Poor Sirius spends half his time defending my innocence, and the other half chasing after the Ravenclaw girls'. _

_I think he's a little confused about what 'long-term' means; his longest relationship so far has lasted a week. They broke up because he said he felt suffocated…yeah, right! The only reason he feels suffocated is because his head's stuck so far up his own arse!_

Remus sat gloomily in an otherwise empty compartment of the Hogwarts Express, cradling his aching head in his hands and missing Tulah. 

The last few days had been agony; watching her drift unhappily away from him, slowly but with terrible finality, had wounded him more deeply than he could ever have imagined. 

::I had to end it. What if I'd hurt her?:: 

::You could have hurt Sirius, or James, or Peter. That never stopped you being friends with them:: muttered a small, rebellious part of his mind.

::That was different!:: shouted the rest.

::How?::

Remus found to his surprise that he couldn't answer that question. It came upon him, quite suddenly, that he had made a mistake. 

::No shit, Sherlock:: remarked the mutinous branch of thought, with snide satisfaction.


	10. Pranks and Motorbikes, Sirius' favourite

(Disclaimer; alas, once again Sirius has slipped through my fingers and remains irrefutably (damn that's a good word) the property of the illustrious JKR)

**@elvencherry07; cookies to you! Yes, this is already written, as James knows (he's read it)**

**@James; yeah do, I want to read it.**

**@ary; yes I'll keep writing…but not this fic, because it's finished *sniggers* heh…mass-production…**

**@LauraKay; no! No review to brighten my day! *sniff***

**And mark you, this was written before the whole where-has-Peter-gone thing. Don't say I'm not good to him! (Well…he's in it, anyway.)**

**Oh and you get two chapters mostly from now on as I have to post this before I get back to school on Wednesday. GCSEs! Ohgodohgodohgod I'm gonna FAIL. **

**Actually, you can't fail can you *thinks* hah, foiled 'em!**

Sirius, James, Lily and Tulah were sitting in the common room one rainy afternoon chatting, when Lily suddenly glanced up at the ceiling and screamed. James, on whose lap she was perched, covered his ears and winced. "Lily-Flower," he complained with exaggerated courtesy.  "Must you do that?"

Lily pointed upwards with a shaking hand; the others, following her finger, saw a strange sight. Tulah gaped; James sniggered, and Sirius roared with unrestrained laughter. 

Peter Pettigrew, floating close to the roof, regarded him balefully. "'Snot funny," he remonstrated. Sirius waved a weak hand. "Course not!" he gasped between chuckles. "Absolutely not funny. Nope, nope. I'm not at all amused…"

"Who did it?" inquired James, with only the faintest hint of a laugh in his voice; he had always been marginally more capable of controlling himself.

Peter blushed. "I…um…don't _actually_ know," he admitted. This time James lost his grip and Sirius collapsed to the floor, close to hysterics. Lily took over. "You must know who it was, Pete."

Peter shook his head. "No idea. It was a hex on the portrait hole, I've been trying to get down for hours."

James and Sirius, serious again, got to their feet. "Have you asked the Fat Lady?" Peter looked puzzled. "I never thought of that," he confessed. Sirius went to do so, whilst Lily and Tulah applied themselves to the difficult problem of how to get Peter down and James watched them, chuckling to himself in an evil kind of way.

Ten minutes or so later Peter was safely on the ground again, James having finally admitted to knowing how to reverse the hex, and Sirius was reporting back. 

"She says the only person who's been anywhere near her this afternoon apart from us was Lins," he frowned. "But why would she want to hex Gryffindors?"

"She's been hanging around with Snape and Malfoy's lot ever since we pranked her," James told him heavily. "There's even rumours that she's going out with Malfoy."

Sirius nodded impatiently. "I know _that_. But I still don't see why she should prank her own house."

"We prank each other, don't we?" said Lily rationally.

"Yeah…but this is different, it's spiteful. Pete could have been up there for hours."

"You thought it was pretty funny to start with," Tulah reminded him. Sirius shrugged. "It was!"

"Well, we need to talk to Lindsay about this," Tulah insisted, more confidently than she felt. The rest agreed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," sniffed Lindsay the next day, when Sirius, Lily and Tulah confronted her in the Great Hall at lunchtime.

"Sure you do Lins," Sirius smiled, taking the seat opposite her. "You're the only one who could have done it. Own up, sweetheart."

Tulah, to her surprise, felt a twinge of jealousy. ::That's his name for _me_...:: 

Lindsay made no reply to any of Sirius' accusations…at least, not until he had played his trump card. 

"Lindsay darling, you're getting on my nerves. If you won't cooperate I'm afraid I'll have to make sure the rest of the school knows that you dye your hair." Lindsay froze. 

"How did you find out?" she whispered. 

Sirius grinned and tapped his nose. "I have my methods…"

"He means," said Lily quietly in Tulah's ear, "That he's been snooping around in her bathroom again."

Lindsay was visibly wavering; she chewed her bottom lip nervously and shuffled in her seat. "Promise you won't tell James Potter?" she implored. Sirius nodded, hiding his anticipation with a frown.

"It was me," she admitted, "But Malfoy and Snape told me to." Then a little of the old, confident Lindsay showed through again and she leaned in across the table until her face was inches from Sirius'. Again, a tiny stab of jealousy shot through Tulah. "You're not cross with me are you, Siri?" she murmured to him.

"Furious," Sirius told her solemnly, withdrawing his head from her reach and getting up to leave. 

On the way to their end of the table Sirius was full of exuberance, which was rather exhausting for Lily and Tulah who suffered his stream of comments in pained silence. "…And did you see, she put her head right _here_, and I walked right away, which means I'm over her!" he roared. Tulah shuddered; Lily winced. "…And hey, now I'm over her, check out the legs on that blonde…and wow, that's a cute smile…look, there's James and Pete, come on…oh no, that's my last girlfriend, lets go _this_ way, OH MY GOD, BLUEBERRY MUFFINS!"

He seated himself next to James, who passed him the muffins before he could start talking again. Even Sirius couldn't make noise with three muffins stuffed into his mouth, so for the rest of breakfast a blissful silence reigned.

The red-tinted evening sunshine shone through Remus' bedroom window and painted the walls an angry shade of crimson, which matched his mood perfectly. He couldn't help being cross at Tulah, although he knew none of this was her fault. He wanted desperately to write to her and apologise for his behaviour, though even he could tell that it was too soon. ::I'll leave it be…we both need the holidays to cool off. When the new term begins, we can start over again.::

"Lils, where's Padfoot?" asked Tulah from the doorway to the dorm. Lily, who was sitting on her bed writing a holiday essay for Professor Kettleburn on 'Why it is Wrong to Hang your Friends up by their Ears when they ruin your Hippogriff Feeding Session', pushed her red hair out of her face and shrugged. "No idea. Tried the kitchens?" Tulah nodded. "I went there first." Lily frowned. "If he isn't in the kitchens, and he isn't in the common room, then he must be pranking someone…wonder why he didn't tell us?" She thought for a moment. "Unless…do you know where he keeps his bike?" 

"No. I didn't know he had it here."

"Oh yeah, he gets it sent by his friend every Christmas term. It's behind Hagrid's hut, on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. There's an old shed out there, knock and say it's you, or he won't answer. Why d'you want him anyway?"

"Need help with my D.A.D.A," said Tulah briefly, before setting off in search of Sirius.

She knocked nervously on the door of the shed. "It's Tulah," she called. There was a thump, then Sirius' voice floated through the closed door. "Hang on a second." A moment later the door flew open. "Hi, come in." Tulah obeyed, looking around curiously. Sirius' bike stood in the centre of the room, with several of its vital pieces scattered on the floor around it. "I'm nearly done," Sirius announced, picking them up and fitting them back into position.

Tulah leaned against a handy workbench, watching him. "What did you want me for?" Sirius inquired with his head under the bike.

"Oh, I needed some help with that D.A.D.A essay," Tulah responded vaguely, then remembered she had left her books upstairs. 

She told Sirius, who laughed and withdrew his head from underneath the bike. "Only you, sweetheart," he sighed. Tulah nodded ruefully. "Sorry. It's the hair." (A/N; does this sound like someone we know??? *Points at herself to help out the dumb-asses at the back*) She tugged resentfully at her blonde curls. (A/N; well, I want curly hair, _OK?_) 

Chuckling, Sirius ran his hand through his own jet-black hair. "Can't say I know how you feel…anyway, I'm done here. I need to test it out though, like to come?"

Tulah eyed the enormous bike nervously. "Umm…"

"Ah go on Tuls, its fun." Sirius stuck out his bottom lip. "Please?"

Tulah gave in, although perhaps less gracefully than usual; she was genuinely afraid of the bike. She'd ridden brooms before, of course, but brooms were supposed to fly. Whereas bikes were definitely _not_. 

Climbing apprehensively up behind Sirius, she wondered if she was making a mistake. This was, after all, the boy famous for crashing his motorbike into the one tree in an otherwise bare field. Sirius flicked a couple of switches ("Invisibility Booster, Silencing System," he muttered under his breath), and started the engine. (A/N; I _swear_ there's a cooler phrase for that somewhere. Anyone good with bikes who'd like to enlighten me?) The bike roared into life; Tulah closed her eyes, feeling rather sick. A second later the wind was whipping her face, then her stomach dropped. She didn't dare look. 

"You can see the school," Sirius called temptingly over his shoulder. "Come on Tuls; open your eyes, I know you've got them shut." Tulah opened one cautious, reluctant eye a crack and gasped. "Was that a good gasp, or a get me out of here gasp?" asked Sirius cautiously.

"Bloody fantastic!"

"Glad you like it!"

"It's _incredible_!"

Sirius drove in silence, genuinely glad that she was enjoying it so much. He had always been fond of the view from this point, but the last girl he had taken up here – Lindsay – hadn't appreciated it nearly as much. She'd spent half the time grabbing him around the waist and screaming.

He landed a couple of minutes later, dismounted (A/N; Um…bike person? Is that right? Motorbike terminology not my strong point…) and wheeled Tulah and the bike back into the shed. Tulah, looking more than a little disappointed, got off too. 

"Thanks for the ride…"

"Oh, you're welcome. Come for a longer one sometime?"

Tulah smiled. "I'd love to."

"Well, I need to pack up…meet you in the common room in five minutes or so?"

"Sure." She turned to leave, but Sirius caught her wrist. "Tulah…"

Tulah stopped; half-twisted back around. Sirius took her other hand and drew her gently towards him. She met his gaze and held it, feeling her breathing quicken. His face was inches from her own…

"Padfoot! Tuls! Are you coming to supper, or what?" They sprang apart – James was silhouetted in the doorway to the shed. 

Sirius cleared his throat. "Yeah, sure, we'll come up with you now." He turned to Tulah. "You ready?"

"Yup." ::Only I can't stop shaking…::

James looked from one to the other, puzzled. Neither of them had moved, which was odd, because you'd think they'd be uncomfortable, practically grinding hips like that...

(A/N; not the brightest of sparks, our Prongsie…)

"So…are you coming, or what?"

They made their way back up to the school in silence.

_Diary, _

_It's night time. I haven't spoken to Sirius since this afternoon…not sure what to say for a start, but I can't seem to shake off the feeling that, even if we had…well…kissed, we'd have been making a mistake… _

Sirius stared moodily into the crackling fire in the Gryffindor common room; he, too, was having second thoughts about he and Tulah's…moment. 

::What the hell did you think you were playing at? She's a _friend_, you dickhead. You have a rule, remember? Friends are for _hanging out with_. Other girls are for sleeping with. So why were you going to kiss Tulah?:: 

Whatever part of him had wanted something to happen between them had no answer.

Tulah descended the last few steps down to the common room, her head bent, and banged hard into someone at the bottom. 

"Ow!"

"OW!"

"Oh…"

"Ah."

"Um…Sirius, hi."

"Tulah. Hi…"

At exactly the same time, they both blurted, "About that…"

"It was a mistake, wasn't it?" said Sirius softly.

"Yeah." Tulah was surprised, and more than a little relieved, to find that he felt the same way.

"So we're just friends, nothing more?"

"Exactly." 

Relief flooded through Sirius; not that it wouldn't have been nice to have been going out with Tulah, but to lose her as a friend would have made it all worthless. He gave her a big hug, noting that she seemed just as thankful as he was for the reprieve; good. No hard feelings, then.

Tulah cleared her throat. "Um…Sirius?"

"Mmm?"

"You can take you hand off my arse now."

"Ah…sorry." He removed the offending hand with a trace of reluctance and they walked to breakfast as if nothing had happened.

That night, while she was watching Sirius and Peter play Exploding Snap, she felt a hand on her arm. It was Chris Chant, one of the only two Gryffindor seventh-years not in the Marauders. Tulah had never noticed him much – she tended to hang around with James, Lily, Peter and Sirius or no one at all. Looking at him now, she realised with a start that he was actually quite good-looking, in a floppy-curly-brown-haired kind of way. "Can I, uh, talk to you for a moment?" he asked quietly.

"Sure," she frowned, not sure what this was about. Sirius looked up from his game; the cards exploded in Peter's face. 

"What was it you wanted to say?" she asked, ignoring Sirius' bellow of laughter – the Snap had singed Peter's fair eyebrows off.

"I just wondered," he said bluntly, "Whether you and Black are an item." 

Tulah met Sirius' laughing eyes, smiling, and shook her head. "No. No, we're just good friends." She watched Sirius' efforts not to crack up with amusement, not at all bothered that he was listening in on what was supposed to be a private conversation.

Chris was talking again; she tried to pay attention, but the faces Sirius was pulling were distracting to say the least…

"…Well, what I'm really trying to say is, would you like to go out sometime?"

Tulah gaped. "What?"

Chris smiled – it wasn't Remus' smile, but it was cute enough… "Merlin, don't make me say it again!"

Tulah finally found her voice. "Sure, I'd love to go out with you. When?"

"Wednesday ok with you?"

"Yup…see you then, then."

Chris left, looking relieved, and Sirius came to sit beside Tulah, grinning his most evil grin. Tulah was rather pale. "What was that about?" she wondered.

 Sirius looked surprised. "Well? Why shouldn't guys ask you out?"

Tulah snorted. "Why _should_ they?" Before Sirius could protest she had carried on. "I'm small…"

"Petite!"

"…stupid…"

"Bullshit."

"…shy…"

"Discreet!"

"And my hair is dishwater blonde!" 

Sirius smiled. "Now you're just fishing for compliments!" he accused. 

::Godammit, I was so jealous, I swear I could have knocked the guy out where he stood…how dare he ask out _my_ girl?::

::Except she isn't my girl, is she? We made an agreement, we're just friends:: 

But Sirius had never wanted to kiss anyone quite so badly…in fact; he wanted to do much, _much_ more than just kiss her… 

::NO!:: He stopped the fantasy before it had even started and sat up in bed. ::Shit, I fancy Tulah! And I just told her that we were friends, nothing more. And now she's going out with wotsisname…I'm fucked! Well and truly fucked…:: 

_Diary,_

_Well…that was an interesting date…_

_Oh Merlin, it was awful! Chris is very sweet and everything, but a cheesier guy I've never met! Every ten seconds it was, 'you've got beautiful eyes' or 'I don't know what I'd do without you' – which is all very well, but I've only known him for about three days! I mean, Remus worked fast but this is ridiculous! _

_So when he asked, at the end, if I wanted to meet up again I said no._

_Thank god! What a bloody lucky escape. I think I'll stick with the Marauders, and leave other guys well alone. At least the Marauders don't try to kiss me when I've just told them no. Well, most of them don't anyway…_

**Ooh ooh cliffie! Doncha just love 'em! Hehe…**


	11. Term Starts: Rated R for: well, stuff

**This is the making-out chapter. After this it all gets a bit love/hate/love/hate/love/…well you get the idea. Tell me after reading it if you think I should rate this R. It's just that I know a lot of people look in R for really serious, angsty, kind of…good stuff. And I don't wanna lose out on readers who just read for the hell of it. **

**Well I think I just replied to all the reviews, except to say to elvencherry07, thanks for being nice about my angst!**

Sirius watched Tulah enter the common room through half-closed eyes. Still in her 'dating clothes', she looked gorgeous. The silky blue top brought out her eyes; her hair, highlighted to golden-blonde, tumbled down her back in loose curls, and her skirt – Sirius nodded approvingly – showed off her legs to perfection. 

"Hi sexy!" he grinned, leaning back on the sofa with his hands behind his head.  Tulah looked uncomfortable. ::Yeah, yeah, we're just friends:: thought Sirius impatiently. ::Who gives a shit, anyway?::

He beckoned her over to sit beside him. "How did the date go?" Tulah closed her eyes, exhausted. "Terrible," she muttered. Sirius gave her a sympathetic hug, forcing himself to keep his hands off the rest of her. ::Wait for it…::

He felt her relax into his embrace; he propped up her chin with a gentle hand, and brushed his lips against hers. 

Tulah pulled back, her eyes wide with shock. "Sirius! We're friends, remember! Stop _doing_ that - " as he slipped a hand up her top. She slapped it away and stood up. "Leave me alone, Black!" she snapped, and stormed out. Sirius followed her. 

Just outside the portrait hole, he caught her and pinned her against the wall. Tulah wriggled helplessly for a moment and then relaxed, realising that it was hopeless. Sirius flashed her a dazzling smile which would have melted any other girl…except perhaps Lily. The only effect it had on Tulah was to intensify her death-glare. 

"Gotcha!" Sirius whispered in her ear, before kissing all the way up her neck until he reached her mouth. 

Tulah had been determined not to let him, but somehow now she couldn't help herself; she parted her lips and he slid his tongue between them, slipping one arm around her waist at the same time. 

Tulah's knees went weak. No doubt about it, Sirius Black was a good…a very good…a bloody _brilliant_ kisser. She ran her hand lightly up his cheek to let it rest in his black hair; Sirius moved his arm from her waist to her neck and deepened the kiss fractionally… 

The other half of Tulah awoke abruptly. ::What the hell am I doing?::

::You're kissing Sirius Black:: the first half answered smugly, just as Sirius' hands found their way up her silky top. ::No, wait, you're being groped by Sirius Black.::

The second half spluttered with horror. ::But…but…::

However smug the first half of her may have been, the second won in the end. She tore her mouth from his and shoved him away from her, gasping for breath. "Get off me, Sirius!"

Sirius looked wounded. "What? I'm not that bad a kisser, am I?"

"No! Yes! Uh - I don't know - I didn't mean…but we're supposed to be friends!"

"Fuck _that_!" declared Sirius, moving in again. Tulah ducked out from under him, dashed wildly through the portrait-hole, and slammed it shut behind her. Sirius, left alone in the dark corridor, ran a puzzled hand through his mussed hair. "What'd I do?" he wondered aloud. 

"Beats me, dear," the Fat Lady said loudly. "It looked fine from over here…"

"Hmph!"

He gave her the password and went into the common room after Tulah, managing to grab her shoulder just as she started up the stairs to her dorm. She stopped and turned around. "What the hell was that about?" she shouted, her eyes narrowed. 

"Well, I didn't see you complaining!" he said good-naturedly. 

"I couldn't, Sirius," she said acidly. "Your tongue was in my mouth."

Sirius grinned. "I know. Nice, wasn't it? Like me to do it again?"

"No, Sirius, I want you to go fuck yourself."

"I'd rather it was you, but ok." He was still using the same good-natured tone, the one which drove her insane. (A/N; As in angry-insane, not turned-on-insane…)

"_Sirius Black_, just what the hell d'you think you're playing at?"

Sirius shrugged, still grinning that aggravating grin of his. Tulah was shocked. She'd never seen this side of him before, and she was definitely hating it so far. 

Sirius was confused to say the least. Looking at Tulah; her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed with anger, he realised that he'd never wanted a girl more. ::And it had to be the only girl that's ever turned me down…::

Tulah was ranting at him; he forced himself to listen, trying not let his eyes stray from her face. "…And first you nearly kiss me, then you tell me that we're just friends, then you kiss me _again_...I mean, what am I supposed to think?"

"Um…that you're hot?"

Tulah let out a shriek of frustration, spun on her heel, and stormed up the stairs to her dorm before Sirius could stop her. 

"Well, that went great," he mused, sinking into an armchair. "Really great…"

::Oh well…better give up on her, I suppose.:: 

An unsettlingly clear image drifted into his mind…Tulah would be changing for bed right about now…he could just sneak up and…

"Aagh! Get out of my head, Page!" yelled Sirius, sprinting up the stairs, diving onto his bed and pulling the pillow over his ears. 

The images of Tulah refused to leave him all night…

_Diary,_

_I hate Sirius Black._

By the next morning, after a sleepless night, Sirius had come to a decision. ::Right, so I sleep with her, get her out of my system, then we can go back to being friends again like before…Perfect!:: (A/N; oh dear, oh dear.)

He met James and Lily for breakfast with more than his usual degree of exuberance. "Morning Lily-flower, Jimmykins. Where's Tulah?" 

Lily fixed him with a piercing stare. "She's still in dorm. She says she won't come down to breakfast if you're anywhere within fifty miles of the Great Hall. Would you know something about that, by any chance, Sirius?"

Sirius cleared his throat. "Who, me? Why _me_?"

James joined Lily in the who-can-freak-Sirius-out-the-most-with-evil-glares contest. "Padfoot, what have you done?"

Under this unbearable pressure, Sirius cracked. "Ok, ok, I kissed her, alright? Now can we get to the Blueberry Muffins please?"

Lily squealed and leaped into James' arms. James nearly fell over. "You did? Oh that is so _cute_! You guys are perfect together!"

When Tulah finally consented to rejoin their group, she found it impossible to shake Sirius off. Luckily, the new term had started and he was too busy greeting their previously absent friends to annoy her much right now…

"Anna! Cazzie!" Lily screamed, rushing over to hug them tightly. James and Sirius threw each other incredulous glances; they could never understand Lily's habit of welcoming her friends as if she hadn't seen them for years. James winked at Tulah, then threw himself into Sirius' arms. "Oh Siri-Poo!" he sobbed dramatically. "I've missed you so much!"

"Me too, Jimmykins, me too."

Lily set her hands on her hips and tapped her foot; James looked up from his embrace. "Carrothead!" he roared exuberantly, flinging his arms around her. "Oh, cut it out, Potter," she growled, trying unsuccessfully to keep the smile off her face. 

Even though it was the first day of term, Sirius saw no reason to stop cornering Tulah after lessons. Usually she was awake enough to dodge his unwanted attentions…although she _was_ sometimes struck by the feeling that they weren't altogether unwanted…but one day, packing up her books alone after a particularly rigorous Transfiguration lesson, she was too tired to notice him come up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. "'Ullo sweetheart," he murmured in her ear, twisting his head sideways to look at her. 

Tulah froze. It was too late to slap him and run, and try as she might no handy excuses came to mind. 

Before she had time to think, Sirius had leaned her up against a convenient desk and begun to kiss her earnestly. 

Tulah didn't struggle; instead, she leaned into the kiss, sliding up her arms around his neck and pressing against him. He pulled out her hair tie so that the golden curls tumbled down, reaching to just below her shoulder blades. Sirius dragged his mouth from hers and smiled at her moan of protest, twirling a lock of her hair around his finger. "So you want me now?" 

Tulah nodded mutely, biting her lower lip because she wasn't sure if this was what she wanted. Sirius found the movement irresistible.

He lifted one of her hands to his lips, then the other. Tulah, impatient, leaned in close for another kiss. 

Sirius rested one hand in her hair; with the other he began to unbutton her shirt with the ease of long practice. He seated her properly on the desk, her legs wrapped around his waist, and slid a hand slowly under the hemline of her skirt. "That's the nicest thing about short skirts," he joked, tracing circles with his finger on her thigh. "Easy access!"

Tulah stared him, wide-eyed, her lower lip trembling. "Relax, sweetheart!" Sirius laughed. "I'm not going to do anything bad." He slid his hand further up her skirt; Tulah slapped it away, slithered off the desk and began to leave, fumbling shakily with her shirt buttons. 

Sirius grabbed her arm. 

"Whoa, whoa…what the hell happened there? One second _you're_ kissing _me_, the next you're running out on me? What's the matter, scared?" The remark was accompanied with a smirk and a laugh. Tulah backed further away, a hint of fear in her eyes. 

"Leave me alone, Black."

Sirius frowned. "What, are you worried McGonagall'll catch us or something?" 

Tulah shook her head. "No, though it was stupid of you to try it on in an empty classroom, of all places." By this time Sirius was getting a little het up, to put it mildly. 

"You weren't exactly throwing me off," he commented acidly.

Tulah flushed with anger. "You didn't exactly give me the chance! You've been chasing after me all week, and you've never asked if it's what _I_ want or not."

"You wouldn't have kissed me like that if you didn't want it," said Sirius confidently. 

"Look Sirius, just because you've talked all those girls into sleeping with you doesn't mean you can try it with me!" Tulah had started off fairly calm, but by now she was practically smoking at the ears. "And anyway, I don't want my first time to be with someone as pigheaded as you. So just leave me alone, Black, and go back to your slutty Hufflepuffs."

"They're not slutty; they're just less frigid than _you_!" Sirius snapped. Suddenly what she had just said hit him in force. "Wait…you're a virgin?"

"Oh, well done!" Tulah applauded sarcastically. 

"But…I thought…you and Rem…"

"You thought wrong. And I don't think it's any of your business what I've done with other guys. I haven't slept with anyone yet, and it's up to me when and with who I want to change that!" Tulah shouted, "And I can assure you, Sirius Black, it most certainly won't be with you!"

She fled, leaving Sirius standing, alone again and looking more than a little put out. He was in absolute shock. Tulah had not only insulted him; she had made him want her even more. He strolled back to Gryffindor Tower, thinking hard.

**Sorry quite a short chappie, because there was a bit I hadn't written at the end of it and I don't have the time now, so it'll be at the start of the next chapter. Lol f-e-e**


	12. Remus' Return

(Disclaimer; f-e-e; nada, JKR; todos)

**@katesparrow; woah! I log on and there's like nine reviews from you! Thanks! You'll be beating Naoko-san if she's not careful. And I'm reallyreally sorry, but…Remmie doesn't get anyone…*sob* I know I know. But I'll write a sequel, don't worry!**

**@Naoko-san; forgive me for what I'm about to do! And Remus went away for the holidays, remember? Another of my convenient plot devices. They obey ME. They have holidays when I say, hehehe And now he's back, better late than never.**

**@Sparky; thanks! And I'll check out your sister's work!**

**@everyone in general; I'm really sorry for what I do to Rem, you all should know I love him and he's my babe, and he'll find a soulmate in the sequel *grin* I think you'll like the epilogue though, when I post it. Anyway, here he is, the man himself…**

"Rem!" Lily shrieked, flinging herself at him ecstatically. James looked pained. Remus greeted him and Peter more restrainedly, and then looked around. 

"Where's Tuls? And Sirius," he added, as an afterthought. 

"They'll be in in a moment," James replied, exchanging looks with Lily. "So where've you been?"

"Huh?"

"You're two days late back," Lily clarified. 

"Oh…you know, the moon and stuff."

James looked sympathetic. "Were you ok without us?" he inquired quietly. 

"I can hold my own." Remus was rather offended. "But…no, not really." He rolled up his sleeve to display a new set of scars across his arm. "That's why I'm late. I had to heal up," he admitted.

James sucked in his breath; Peter looked rather ill. "You should've come back early," he scolded, looking up at Remus sternly through his watery eyes. 

"Yeah," James joined in. "You're fine with us there."

"What's this?" Sirius asked from behind them, coming into the common room with his arm round Tulah and Caz and Anna trailing behind. "Rem! Long time no see!"

Remus nodded hello to Caz, smiled at Anna, rolled his eyes at Sirius, came to Tulah…and stopped. 

Dead silence fell.

Tulah met Remus' eyes steadily, Sirius' arm still wrapped around her shoulders. She seemed to notice it for the first time, and wriggled out of his grip. Sirius looked defeated.

Tulah licked her lips nervously. "Hey Rem."

"Hey."

The tension relaxed; Sirius burst out laughing, and draped his arm around Tulah's shoulders again. Tulah pushed it away, looking torn; she kept glancing at Remus, as if to see how he was taking it. 

Remus found that he wasn't that bothered; he was jealous, but bearably so, and more because he felt he ought to be then because Sirius was breaking through the rules. 

Ordinarily he would have been furious – it was unwritten law that you didn't go for a friend's ex, especially among the Marauders – but it was pretty obvious that Tulah liked Sirius back, despite not wanting his arm around her.

Remus sighed. ::It's your fault:: he told himself. ::And you're a bloody fool.:: 

Tulah was coming towards him, now the focus had been taken off them by the double act that was James and Sirius. 

"I'm sorry," she said, biting her lip. Remus realised that they understood each other perfectly.

"So am I."

"Friends, then?"

Remus nodded speechlessly, then pulled her into a hug. It was his last chance and, for the sake of those dearest to his heart, he didn't take it.

Lily leaned back contentedly into James' chest and he in turn sank into the sofa with a sigh of satisfaction, tired from a gruelling Quidditch practice. "I really think the chasers are starting to get that formation," he told her cheerfully. Lily nodded absently – although she was usually happy to discuss Quidditch with him, she had something on her mind; something, in her view, infinitely more important than the mysterious inner workings of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. "What d'you think about Sirius and Tulah?" she asked James suddenly, twisting around to look at him. James was surprised. 

"What about them? They're friends. It's sweet."

Lily snorted derisively, unable to believe quite how unperceptive her boyfriend was. "You're useless, you know that?" James nodded – she told him so every day, on the basis that he needed someone to deflate his ego or his head would get so big it would float right away. He waited patiently for her to enlighten him. "Sirius…fancies…Tulah," said Lily, slowly and clearly. James blinked foolishly for a moment, trying to process what she had just said. 

"Bullshit!" he declared after a second's silence. "You know Sirius; he'd have done something about it by now."

"He has, idiot! Haven't you noticed?"

James frowned, trying to remember. "Well, there was that time when he was trying to get her to sit on his knee…and that time when she kept having to shove his hands off her arse…and he's always staring at her…and…and…OH MY GOD! SIRIUS FANCIES TULAH!"

"SHHHHH!"

"Why? Doesn't she know about it?"

"If she didn't before, she would now," said Lily reprovingly. "But she does know, as it happens."

"Why aren't they together, then?" asked James, puzzled. That was how it worked with Sirius. He decided he wanted a girl; she was flattered by the attention; Sirius dated her, slept with her, and dumped her. True, it was slightly different because Sirius and Tulah were already friends, but from James' point of view that only gave the relationship a marginally better chance of succeeding long-term. 

::Maybe if Sirius actually knew the girl, he wouldn't just use her…or maybe not…::

"Because Sirius is acting like a total jerk, as usual, and ruining every chance he ever had with her," said Lily wearily.

"How is he acting like a jerk?" James asked, slightly put out by the inference that his friend was anything less than an example to _everyone_.

Lily sighed; she was sick of Tulah telling her the facts, in detail, over and over again. She took a deep breath. "He – and I quote – 'keeps jumping on her and trying to harass her.' See now?"

"Uhmmm…nope. Well, sort of…ok, yeah, I do see. But what harm can it do?" 

"Duh! It'll wreck any hopes of them even getting off to a good start."

"From what you've been telling me, they've been getting off quite enough already, never mind good starts!" James sniggered. Lily smacked the back of his head, which had about as much effect as a mouse hitting an elephant. "Don't you get it?" she hissed. "They're perfect for each other, they just don't see it! Like us!"

James flashed her a soppy smile. "Aww Lily-flower, you think we're perfect for each other?" he cooed. Lily smacked him again; utterly pointless, because it only made him laugh. She gave up and continued. "So we have to help them out, right? Because, if all Sirius is going to do is try to snog her every time he sees her, they're never going to get _anywhere_."

James' soppy smile turned to a wicked grin. "But that's how I got _you_," he said, mock-innocently. 

Lily blushed scarlet. "Shut up, James."

"Yes _ma'm_!"

"We're agreed that we have to get them together?"

"I s'pose so…but I still don't see why we can't just leave them to it," James complained. 

"Because Sirius is useless when it comes to saying how he feels," Lily explained. "And _that's_ how you got me," she added. 

James looked disappointed. "What, so the kissing in the closet had nothing to do with it?"

"A_hem_...maybe a bit…but that's beside the point! The point is; we have to get them together."

"Oh have it your own way woman," James said, giving in to Lily's inexorable will. "So what are we going to do?"

Lily leaned in conspiratorially. "I have a _great_ idea…"

Tulah sat hunched in an armchair in the common room, ostensibly studying with Caz and Anna but really watching Sirius and his latest girlfriend gloomily. 

::Why am I so upset? I can't expect him not to go out with other girls, just because he keeps hitting on _me_. I do turn him down, after all. I should be happy, this might mean he's got over that stupid phase and we can go back to being friends again…::

Sirius knew perfectly well that Tulah was watching him, and he thought he had seen a shadow of pain flash across her face when she noticed him and Sophie together. ::Getting jealous, sweetheart?:: he thought to himself with a grin.

Suddenly she was staring right into his eyes. Sirius faltered. He found his mind imagining them together and to his irritation, he was stuck with Sophie's bony weight digging into him.

Tulah swallowed; all the hurt and conflict drained away at their unspoken connection and her breathing began to quicken. 

Shaking her head to clear it and turning pointedly back to her books, she did her best to ignore the grinning Gryffindor sitting oh, ten feet away from her. Sirius left Sophie, who got up and went out of the common room without complaint, and came to sit beside her. 

"I'm sorry about yesterday," he offered hesitantly. "I was wrong." Tulah smiled her acceptance, knowing how hard it was for him to apologise to anyone; he having made it his business to avoid doing so since first year. 

"You have no idea how good it feels to have you say that!" she smirked. Sirius wrapped an arm around her waist, just managing to resist the temptation to say something cheeky. Tulah slid out of his grip without comment and bent over her Potions essay, frowning. "Want me to help?" Sirius offered hopefully. Tulah fixed him with a sharp stare. "Only if you keep your hands, mouth and anything else you have in mind to yourself," she replied acidly. Sirius shrugged his acceptance of her terms and examined the assignment, chewing absent-mindedly on her pencil. "It's quite simple," he explained, "But we did some of it last year, so you just need your notes from then."

Tulah fished them out, wrinkling her nose. "My handwriting was terrible! I can't read a word." 

"Let's see?" He grabbed the papers and squinted at them. "Shit, this is like code! The…terg…arnad…gree…?" He gave up and handed them back. "I'll go and get my notes. Stay there a minute."

Tulah gaped after him in utter bewilderment. ::Sirius Black's just spent five whole minutes in my company, and he hasn't laid a finger on me!:: She frowned suddenly. ::What'd I do wrong?::

Lily pointed over James' shoulder. "Ahh! Look!" 

"What, what? No wait, let me guess, the aliens are invading?"

"Nope."

"The Slytherins are all dead??"

"Nope."

"Father Christmas finally came???"

"James, for god's sake just look."

James looked. 

Tulah and Sirius were bent over her Potions essay; their heads close together, their knees almost touching. 

"Aren't they sweet?" cooed Lily. James pretended to throw up.

"I don't think we need the plan," Lily decided.

"No."

"No."

"Pity…"

"Mmm."

 "Done it!" squealed Tulah, throwing her arms around Sirius, who grinned. ::She hugged me! All on her own! Progress!::

"Like help on anything else?" he offered, surprised to find that he was nervous. ::I'm never nervous…::

"D.A.D.A. I hate it!"

"No way, how can you hate it? It's the best subject there is!"

"But it's so _hard_!"

"Easy!"

"Hard!"

"Easy!!!!"

"HARD!!!!!!!!!"

"EASY!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Oh, never mind…"

She emptied her bag onto the table in search of her work; Sirius groaned. "Mess!"

Tulah's only response was to stick out her tongue. She held out her answers to Sirius, shoved the rest haphazardly back into the bag, and gave him her full attention. "Go on then, prove that D.A.D.A is easy," she challenged. 

Sirius accepted the challenge with a wicked grin. "It will be my pleasure."

Half an hour later, Tulah admitted defeat. "Ok…sometimes…"

"Yes...?"

"Just _occasionally_…"

"_Yes_…?"

"D.A.D.A can be easy," she said in a rush as Sirius whooped his triumph. "Thanks for the help," she added gratefully, getting up to leave.

"You going to bed?" Sirius inquired. 

"Yeah."  Tulah waited for the inevitable 'can I come?' accompanied by his usual snigger. She was pleasantly surprised when he simply settled back into his chair with a shrug. "'Night."

Tulah hesitated, then bent down and kissed his cheek. "'Night Padfoot," she called over her shoulder as she left. 

Sirius sat back in his chair, fighting a losing battle to keep his trademark smirk from spreading over his face, and decided that a cold shower was definitely in order. 

_Diary,_

_I have no idea what came over me!!!! He was just being so sweet, I couldn't resist…_

_Oh god._

_I have a crush on Sirius Black!_

_I can't get him out my head. When he was pulling that bitch Sophie…! _

_I'll think about something else. Stars, think stars…just try and think about stars for 30 seconds, 1 star, 2 stars, 3 stars, 4 stars, 5 stars Sirius, SHIT. _

_Bollocks, I've left my star chart in the common room._

Tulah darted down the stairs on tiptoe, and crept into the common room feeling rather exposed in her blue rugby shirt and boxers. ::Still, no one's here to see.::  As she went in she suddenly noticed a suspiciously Sirius-shaped shadow (A/N; ALLITERATION!!!! *starts jumping about and squashes several innocent readers*) on the wall. ::Shit! The last person I want to see!::

"Hey you!" he grinned.

"Umm…hi! I…I lost my umm, Sirius chart."

"Huh?" 

"Star chart, I lost my _star_ chart."

"Hmm…" he smirked. Tulah made a face at him; he pulled an equally grotesque one of his own and stood up, holding out her star chart. "It was under the chair."

Tulah checked the clock on the wall. "It's midnight! Why are you always down here whenever I come in?"

"I could ask you the same…" he began but then corrected himself, catching sight of her glare, "…but I'm not going to. I'm going to answer _your_ question instead!"

"Good for you!"

"I'm a bit of an insomniac, y'see. I'm usually down here until two or three in the morning."

"Oh." That seemed to be about all there was to say. Tulah took her star chart, feeling a blush start to spread over her cheeks. She fumbled for something to say. "Thanks for the help before…" 

"You're welcome."

"'Night then."

"'Night."

Sirius was looking at her expectantly. "What?" she asked nervously. Sirius tapped his cheek, still fixing her with that hopeful look. Tulah bent over and gave him a kiss on the proffered cheek, her face flaming, then hurried towards the door. 

::Wait…what the hell am I walking away for?:: She stopped, turned back and crossed the room in two strides; taking his hand, she pulled him towards her and crushed her lips against his. Sirius, surprised but by no means displeased, responded in kind. 

Tulah drew away long before Sirius wanted her to and began to climb the stairs to her dorm. "Hey!" Sirius called after her, brain still whirling from the abrupt start and then finish of their kiss. "Finish what you started!" Tulah ignored him.

Sirius burst into the girls' dorm a second later; Lily glared at him. "_Girls'_ dorm, Padfoot, with extra emphasis on the girl." 

"Yeah, uhuh, on m'way out, but only," he fixed Tulah with a piercing stare, "If I get to talk to Tuls. In private."

Tulah shrugged, trying to look as noncommittal as possible, and followed him out of the dorm, through the portrait-hole and along the corridor. 

"Where are we going?" she ventured, after they had been walking for five minutes or so. "Here," Sirius replied, shoving open the door to a room she had never seen before; comfortable, with a crackling fire in the grate and several large portraits in ornate frames hanging on the walls. Sirius followed her in and shut the door. "We need to talk," he told her curtly. 

"W-what about?"

Sirius gestured impatiently. "Everything!"

"Well I'm sorry for _existing_!"

"Not _that_...it's just the way you….you mess with my mind!" He paused, heaving a breath in, " Like that kiss…just now…and before. It's like my mind's running in circles and…."

"Ok ok ok, I get it!" Tulah sighed, impatient.

"Don't be so fucking condescending!" Sirius snapped, not amused with her nonchalant attitude.

"Fine, I'll stay away, happy?! Tulah snapped back. Sirius ignored her and carried on with his ranting.

"Wherever I fucking go, you're there somehow and you won't go away, you're in my head the whole time, and I can't do anything with you there," he shouted. Tulah gaped at him blankly. "I can't even _flirt_ anymore, dammit. You're ruining my sex life!"

"Well that's _your_ fucking problem isn't it?! It's all you ever think about!"

"Bullshit!" Sirius retorted angrily.

"Oh really? Go on then, name me two more things you think about."

"This is ridiculous!"

"You can't, can you? You're a fucking nymphomaniac!" 

(A/N; Getting a little technical for my liking…am I the only one who knows what that means, BTW? Any suggestions for a replacement? I'm liking sex-crazed imbecile so far.)

"Shut the hell up!" Sirius yelled, getting really furious now. 

"Why should I? You started it!" Tulah yelled back, "You do nothing but ruin every girl in the bloody school right in front of your friends! I don't know why we put up with a childish brat like you!" 

One of the portraits sucked the breath sharply through her teeth. "That's got to hurt…" she whispered to her neighbour.

Sirius glared at her and replied coldly, "I'll survive."

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Tulah spat, taking out her wand and facing up to him. Sirius curled his lip scornfully, looking down his nose at her. 

"You really think I'm going to bother?" he asked incredulously. A second later he had gone, banging the door behind him, and Tulah was left standing in the middle of the strange room, shaking with anger, her wand still grasped tightly in her hand.

_Diary_,

_I bet he has a tiny prick. Sirius I mean. Someone as arrogant as that must be making up for _something_! I told Remmie and Lily and everyone about it. The argument I mean; the size of his dick didn't come into it. I was kind of worried that Remmie would be all 'so can we get back together', now that Sirius is out of the picture, but he wasn't, he was really understanding…_

"Prongs, Lils, Moony, everyone, can I talk to you?" asked Tulah, sitting on the sofa across from them. 

"Sirius has already told us," said Remus quietly. "You two had a…ah…disagreement, right?"

"But the way he told it, you came off much worse, so we'd love to hear your side of the story!" Anna commented brightly.

"Sirius is a dickhead," said Tulah, getting straight to the point.

"Funny," mused James, "That's what Sirius said."

"Nono, Sirius said Tulah was a slut," Lily corrected. "Not a dickhead."

"What did you fight about?" asked Remus with interest.

Tulah frowned. "I'm not sure…it doesn't matter…"

James and Lily exchanged significant looks. "Ok…well, if you want to talk to us you know where we are," Lily smiled. 

"Thanks." Tulah smiled back as she stood up; unaware of the looks Lily and James were shooting at each other behind her.

Once Tulah had left, Lily turned to James. "What d'you think? Is the Plan on again?" (A/N; I know I am a little…um…how to say…vague about the Plan, but that's because I don't know what it is, ok? Heh…)

"Um…no. I don't think so. I think we should leave them alone," James declared. 

"I agree," said Lily, surprisingly. 

Remus raised his eyebrows. "Lily and James agreeing? Someone call a doctor, I think these guys are sick." Lily stuck her tongue out at him.

Caz continued in a more serious vein. "I think you were right, though. Tulah took it pretty well, considering. They've been friends for a while now…I don't want them to break apart any more than you guys do, but this is something they need to sort out on their own…"

**Just to say, the end will definitely be up by tomorrow, and then I'll start posting the sequel which I've just started next time I'm back from school. My GCSE results will be featured, as I know you're all so desperate to know how I do…**


	13. The Happy Chapter, R again

**This is the second-last chapter, apart from the epilogue. Enjoy! **

They all, Tulah and Sirius included, threw themselves with renewed vigour into revision for N.E.W.Ts, which looked scarily close this side of Christmas. Tulah in particular was hardly ever seen out of the common room; when she started missing meals, Lily intervened. 

Tulah realised that she was trying to fill the gap that Sirius had left; she also realised that Advanced Transfiguration wasn't helping, but there wasn't anything else she could think of to do. 

Remus dumped his books on the table beside Tulah's with a thump and seated himself next to her. Tulah ignored him with the ease of long practice.

"The others are playing Quidditch," he told her despairingly. "You need a rest."

"Nonsense," Tulah told him firmly without looking up. "I just have to finish this…"

James and Lily joined them. "Sirius stayed behind to do some beating practice with Peter," Lily said; then, catching sight of Tulah, "Honestly Tuls, are you _still_ working?"

"Yes."

"Actually, I need to revise as well," put in James, shamefaced. "Let's all do half an hour or so."

Lily looked disgusted; Remus shrugged; Tulah smiled triumphantly into her books and they all sat down; some with more enthusiasm than others…

Half an hour passed; then three quarters, and still no one looked up or spoke. Tulah settled into the comfortable silence with some relief. 

When they had been working for around an hour (A/N; wish I could do that…) the portrait hole banged open and Sirius bounded in, his hair windswept from Quidditch practice. (A/N; Mmm…) 

"Study break!" he yelled, slamming James and Remus' books shut and flinging himself down into the nearest chair. He sat jiggling impatiently until Remus shot him a warning look; whereupon he subsided, but not for long…"Lets go flying again, c'mon; I wanna go out, Peter's _boring_! Tulah will you come flying…with…me…" His voice died away. Tulah flicked her gaze back to her books and pretended she hadn't heard. 

Awkwardness hung unspoken in the air; the atmosphere tightened noticeably. Sirius rose abruptly and strode out, slamming the portrait hole shut behind him. 

Tulah bit back a tiny sob, the others exchanged glances and Remus opened his mouth to speak, but Lily shook her head. 

"'Sort it out themselves,'" she mouthed, and Remus subsided, glowering. 

Sirius smashed his fist into the wall of his bike shed, let out a stream of eloquent expletives and sucked his hand, shooting an injured look at the wall. He had wanted to ride his bike; to blow the memories of Tulah out of his head with the sound of the wind roaring in his ears, but even the bike reminded him of that day in the holidays…

He pressed his forehead against the cold windowpane and exhaled noisily, watching his breath mist on the glass.

"Dammit, get out of my head!"

"Talking to yourself again, Sirius?" came a mocking voice from the doorway. "First sign of madness, you know." Sirius turned to glare at the speaker. 

Lindsay just smiled. His anger had always bounced right off her, and now was no exception. 

"Get out," he spat. 

Lindsay shrugged, still smiling. 

"When I'm ready."

"Which will be when?" Sirius growled, impatient for solitude.

"Unsociable today. Had a fight with our little girlfriend, have we?"

It was too close to the truth for Sirius to bear; he grabbed her by the arms and hauled her bodily out of the door, ignoring her protests. Then he went back inside, locked the shed behind him, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Tulah hung back after Charms, wanting to ask Professor Flitwick something. "Catch you up," she called to Remus and Lily, who nodded and departed. She caught Sirius' eye as he left, but neither of them spoke. 

Tulah found herself turning to watch him leave, and when she turned back she was facing an empty room; Professor Flitwick had vanished with the rest of the class. 

Shaking her head at her own stupidity, she began to gather her books, humming softly. 

"All alone?" said a mocking voice from behind her. Tulah spun around to see Lindsay leaning against the doorframe, smiling sweetly and twirling a lock of hair around her finger. Tulah took no notice of her; Lindsay came closer, still smiling her sickly-sweet smile. (A/N; *does the alliteration dance* YAY!!!! We all love alliteration, tra la la la laJ)

"I heard you and Sirius had a fight," Lindsay observed. 

Her smile was getting a little weird. Tulah stared at her. ::Does she need medical help?:: she wondered, concerned. (A/N; hehe...ahehe…AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…excuse me. *Turns to face the wall in hysterics at her completely unfunny comment*) "Yeah, you could say that," she muttered – because not to answer might provoke her, and all Tulah was concentrating on right now was just _backing away_...

"Does that mean I'm in with a chance, then?" asked Lindsay.

Tulah frowned. "What?"

"Now that you're out of the picture…maybe…I don't know what he saw in you, you know," she said, surveying Tulah thoughtfully. Tulah made no comment; some of the old shyness had crept back, and she was feeling rather small. "Last term he was mine," Lindsay continued, slightly hysterically. "I did what I wanted…I had him. We had an _arrangement_. 

"Then _you_ come along, and suddenly he's all, 'if you lay a finger on her, I'll kill you,' and he doesn't want me any more…he wants you, the frigid little mudblood. He even played that joke…God, I was so angry, I could have…you've got no idea…but he's popular, he's powerful, and he's perfectly capable of making a fool out of me…so, I left you alone. Bet you thought you'd got off, didn't you?" Tulah said nothing; she was too busy staring at her feet. 

::Why is it that whatever she says makes me feel like shit?:: she wondered, blinking back tears. 

Lindsay's eyes had narrowed to slits. "Crying already? Well, well…not so brave, are you, without the Marauders to protect you? It's back where it used to be. He's mine now…and you're nothing but a loser with no life, no boyfriend, no looks and no brains. You're pathetic." She turned on her heel, confident and perfect, and walked out without looking back. Tulah sank against the wall, and gave way to tears.

**FLASHBACK**

Tulah caught Sirius' eye as he followed Lily and Remus out of Charms, but neither of them spoke. Sirius stopped abruptly, motioning to the others to carry on without him. ::This is ridiculous…I'm just going to go in there and apologise. Even though this isn't my fault.::

He turned back towards the door and stopped. "…Frigid little mudblood…" Sirius frowned, moving closer. That was Lindsay's voice, and – he peered around the door – she was talking to Tulah. He backed off again, not at all willing to get involved in a catfight. Nevertheless, the next words which drifted through the door made him start forward. "…Crying already? Well, well...He's mine now…you're nothing…pathetic…"

**END FLASHBACK**

Then came the clicking of heels on a hard floor, and next second the door had opened and Lindsay had come out, a tiny smile of triumph playing around her lips. 

Sirius couldn't have stopped himself, even if he had bothered to; he seized Lindsay's arm and shoved her up against the wall. Her smile widened. "Hello Siri. Want to go play?"

"You vindictive little cow," he hissed in her face, feeling savage pleasure when her smile faltered. "Like hell I'm yours."

"You – you heard," she stammered. 

"Oh, I heard. Bitch." 

"Siri! You don't understand…it wasn't me…it was her…"

"Bullshit. It was all you, it's always you," he retorted, refusing to loosen his grip when she struggled. "And if you even dare _speak_ to Tulah, I'll hurt you. Understand? _Really_ hurt you." 

Lindsay made no reply; droplets had begun to form in the corners of her blue eyes. 

"_Do you understand_?" he repeated. 

Lindsay nodded tearfully, and he let go of her arms, looking down at her coldly. 

"You really thought I'd want anything more to do with you? You're the pathetic one." 

She scrambled silently to her feet without meeting his eyes. 

"Now get out," he ordered. She obeyed without protest. He watched her leaving, her shoulders hunched in defeat, then went into the empty Charms classroom to put things right.

Tulah was leaning against the wall; her cheeks were flushed and although her eyes were dry now, they were also rimmed with red. Sirius walked up and put his arms around her; she resisted. 

"I owe you an apology…" he said in her ear. Tulah looked up. "Yeah, you do," she responded simply, and waited for it to come. 

"…but you owe me one, too," Sirius continued, letting go of her. "You assumed the worst from the beginning," he accused quietly. "You didn't even give me a chance."

"I know…sorry."

"Sorry."

Tulah, happier than she had been for weeks, hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I should have given you a chance, at least."

"Does this mean we're…?" Sirius began, his heart leaping in his chest.

"Friends."

Sirius didn't hide his disappointment; he had kept his feelings a secret for too long already. "That's all?"

"That's all…listen," Tulah carried on as Sirius started to protest, "every time we talk about getting together, we end up arguing, or one of us walks out, or…I just don't want to lose you as a friend, that's all."

Sirius sighed, inwardly shouting with frustration. "Ok. Fine. We'll do it your way. But if you change your mind…"

Tulah nodded, grinning. "I'll know where to come."

"Quidditch match tomorrow," James reminded them that evening; looking pointedly at Sirius and Remus, who were both on the team. "Gryffindor V Slytherin and we have to win this one, or we lose the cup. So get some rest tonight, right?"

Sirius looked doubtful; Remus shrugged, a gesture which coming from him could have meant anything from 'yeah, sure' to 'are you _asking_ me to commit suicide? James had told them the same thing every match night since he had become captain, and Sirius had still never had a decent night's sleep before a game. 

About half an hour later James, a manic 'I'm the Quidditch Captain' glint in his eye, bawled, "Bed, team!" 

Most of the team, used by now to his somewhat fanatic leadership, left resignedly for their dormitories; Remus and James followed them. James shot Sirius a warning look – which Sirius calmly ignored – as he went out. 

"Honestly, he's obsessed," Lily muttered to Tulah, who agreed heartily but didn't like to say so. Sirius, who had no qualms whatsoever about saying so, nodded vigorously. 

"Mental," he agreed. "We had a practice at six in the morning yesterday. _Six_!" He closed his eyes in horror at the thought. Lily eyed him shrewdly. 

"Did you go?" she inquired. 

Sirius looked offended. "Of course I didn't! What d'you take me for, some kind of…of…energetic person?"

"Of course not," Tulah soothed, winking at Lily. "_No one_ thinks that."

"Good!"

Another half an hour passed in comfortable silence – apart from the unsettling noise of Sirius flicking Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans into the air and catching them in his mouth, and the even more unsettling choking sounds when he found a vomit-flavoured one. 

Lily stood up, yawning. "I'm going up to bed. Coming?" she added to Tulah who stood up beside her, stretched, and nodded, watching Sirius out of the corner of her eye. She could see him itching to make a dodgy comment, and she was impressed when he restricted himself to a smile – only a hint of smirk – and a composed goodnight. 

On the way upstairs Lily turned to Tulah. "I want to go and say goodnight to James," she told her quietly. "I…um…might not be back for a while. Don't bother to wait up."

"Ok," Tulah smiled, carrying on up the stairs alone as Lily went through the door leading to James' room.

Freshly changed into her favourite blue rugby shirt and boxers, she slid between the sheets, lay down, then sat up once more. ::Forgot to brush my teeth.:: She got up, brushed her teeth, examined them in the mirror, wrinkled her nose and got back into bed. Ten minutes later she arose yet again. ::Hair.:: She dragged her brush through it, sitting up in bed, then flicked it to one side and laid her head back on the pillow. 

After half an hour of tossing and turning, she was ready to scream with frustration. ::Whatever happened to falling asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow?:: She tried shoving her head under the duvet, which only made her too hot, then threw the duvet off altogether to try and cool down. Ten minutes later she bent over to get it, shivering. ::Now I know how Sirius feels…:: 

Sirius would be down in the common room now, probably still eating Bertie Bott's, she thought with a smile. With that comforting thought she disentangled herself from the duvet and tiptoed down the stairs to find him.

"Boo," she said glumly to Sirius' shadow, which twisted around on the wall. Sirius appeared around the edge of the armchair, his cheeks rather flushed with the heat from the fire. "What're you doing here?" he asked bluntly, looking confused. "I thought you went to bed."

"Couldn't sleep."

"Have you tried?"

"That's rich, coming from you!" Tulah exclaimed indignantly. "You haven't even been upstairs yet!" Sirius looked mildly ashamed of himself. 

"Sorry."

Tulah took the chair opposite him, a smile lifting one corner of her mouth. "Was that a sincere apology I just heard? Do you feel ok?" she asked, leaning forward and pretending to check his pulse. Sirius caught her hand, his eyes holding hers, and pulled her to her feet. Tulah was suddenly very aware of how close he was...too close, in fact. ::Merlin, not again!:: was the first thought to enter her head, but then… ::Oh yes:: she thought dazedly, as his lips brushed hers. ::Far, _far_ too close.::

She pulled back. "We shouldn't be doing this."

Sirius, angry but just about capable of hiding it, shrugged and sat back down without looking at her.

::Oh…shit…what the hell.:: "I never said stop," she protested, seating herself comfortably on his lap and turning her face up expectantly. "Well?" she asked, when he didn't move. "Are you going to kiss me again, or what?"

Sirius did so, numb with shock. He hadn't expected her to _agree_ to it. He hadn't even been going to kiss her at all. ::Still…wasn't a bad idea, was it? Not in the end…:: He rested one hand in her hair and cupped her chin in the other. Kissing her when she actually wanted to be kissed was even better than kissing her when she didn't. 

(A/N; Well, duh!)

He lifted his mouth away and pressed his forehead to hers. "What made you change your mind?" he asked hoarsely, shifting her around so she faced away from him, wrapping his arms firmly around her waist and planting a kiss on her flushed cheek. Tulah's brow wrinkled in thought. "I don't know…does it matter?"

"No. I couldn't think of anything else to say," he confessed. 

Tulah smirked. "I have the perfect solution."

"Mmm? What's that?" Sirius inquired lazily, kissing her other cheek.

"Don't talk."

Laughing, Sirius scooped her hair off her neck and began to kiss it, sliding one warm hand under her rugby shirt. Tulah shivered happily, enjoying the feel of his skin against hers. She wriggled around on his lap and pressed her mouth to his, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. Halfway through, she paused – half to admire his spectacular six-pack, (A/N; *Is lying on floor, drooling*) and half because a thought had just occurred to her. Sirius regarded her warily. "You're not going to back out on me again, are you?"

"No…" said Tulah slowly, "But I was just thinking, the common room isn't really the best place for…um…this. Is it?"

"Probably not the best place for…um…this, no," Sirius agreed solemnly. He stood up suddenly, tipping her ungently off his lap in the process. Tulah frowned up at him from the floor. "What was that for?"

"I know where we can go," Sirius told her excitedly, holding out his hand and pulling her quickly to her feet. A moment later they were in the corridor, kissing again. "This wasn't what I had in mind either," Tulah admitted carefully.

"Oh, we're not there yet," Sirius grinned. "I was just checking." 

They set off again, walking swiftly and quietly, and peering around corners before advancing. Once they caught sight of the new caretaker, Argus Filch, with his cat trotting along beside him. Sirius pulled her quickly into the next corridor. "Run," he instructed urgently, taking her hand.

She obeyed. "Why?" she asked, as they rounded a corner and came to an abrupt stop.

"I swear, that cat has the sixth sense or something," Sirius panted, "It can hear students coming a mile off. We needed to get out of there before we're caught."

He gave her a breathless but triumphant kiss, pushing open the door of a room that seemed vaguely familiar…

"Room of Requirement," Sirius explained, before returning his attention to her lips. 

"Last time you brought me here, it was to shout at me," said Tulah nervously.

"I can assure you," grinned Sirius, pushing her gently down onto the bed. "This time I'm going to do exactly the opposite."

**There just _is_ a bed, ok? Room of Requirement, after all…**


	14. The Requisite Quidditch Match

(Disclaimer; no time for this, have to pack for school, I own nothing you recognise, bye now *spurt of dust and she vanishes*

James: What was up with her?

Lily: No idea.

Sirius: *looks shifty*

Lily: PADFOOT!

Sirius: Dammit, why do you always know?

Lily: Because you unpacked my trunk while I wasn't looking as well.)

**Ok so it wasn't Siri it was my sister, but whatever.******

**@LauraKay; don't worry, Remmie'll get there…**

**@katesparrow; oh wow oh wow I feel so fluffy and warm inside, thanks! I felt so bad about Rem and the whole breaking-his-heart thing, but you have to admit Tuls and Siri are made for each other…**

**@elvencherry; lol! Just keep jumpin'. Oh and about before, I could've made chris evil but…he was kinda based on an ex of mine, and he –the ex I mean- knows it is (he's improved since then), so…making Chris evil might have hurt his feelings. Did that make sense? Sure as hell didn't to me…**

**God, I'm out of reviewers…guys, tell your friends to come read!**

**Enjoy…**

Tulah awoke to find Sirius face down beside her, his legs tangled comfortably with her own and one arm flung protectively over her bare stomach. He muttered something, pulling her closer and nestling into her neck. 

"Time to get up," she said into his ear, and one eye cracked blearily open. 

"Mmph?"

"Morning to you too!"

Sirius closed his eyes again and stuck his face back into her neck. "Saturday, no school," he mumbled sleepily. (A/N; A Walk To Remember! GREAT film!)

"Quidditch match," she reminded him. He sat up with a groan, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. 

"Damn." He gave her a kiss and slid out of bed, yawning. Tulah watched him as he fumbled his way into his robes, admiring his…eyes. (A/N; well what did y'think I was gonna say?? Dodgy lot!)

"Aren't you getting up?" Sirius queried.

Tulah rolled into the warm hollow he had left, stretched luxuriously, and shook her head. "It's Saturday, lie-in day. I'm not getting up for hours," she yawned.

Sirius' face fell. "You're not coming to the Quidditch?"

"I've never seen a Quidditch match; nor do I intend to."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Have you seriously never seen a Quidditch match?"

"Not technically," Tulah admitted, laughing. "Unless you count playing with you in the holidays."

"So, come to this one!"

"But I'm sleeping," she protested.

"Not any more, you aren't." Sirius picked her up, dumped her unceremoniously on the nearest chair and threw her rugby shirt and shorts at her. Tulah caught them, making a hideous face in his direction, and began to get dressed.

"Bully."

"But you love me for it," Sirius told her, grinning and helping her to her feet. 

An hour later, Tulah inched her way along the stands to where Lily and Peter were standing with the rest of the Seventh Year Gryffindors, draped up to their chins in red.

"You guys actually enjoy this experience?" grumbled Tulah, shivering violently.

"Wait until they get started," Lily grinned, pinning an enormous red and gold rosette to her hat. 

"Go on!" screamed Tulah as the Slytherin seeker spiralled into a dive, closely followed by James. "Get him James…come _on_...NO!" She subsided with a sigh; both seekers had slowed then turned back upwards, and the Snitch was nowhere to be seen. "What's the score again?" Tulah shouted to Lily over the deafening roar of the crowd – Remus had the quaffle firmly in his grip and was speeding up the pitch, a Slytherin beater in close pursuit.

"Twenty-ninety," Lily bawled back. "James needs to get the Snitch now or…" Tulah didn't catch the rest because Remus had just scored and the crowd was going wild, Lily along with them. "Thirty-ninety," she shrieked, punching the air. "Take that, you bloody…you filthy…you _bastards_!"

"Language, Miss Evans!" Professor McGonagall admonished from three rows down. Lily ducked her head, giggling.

Tulah strained her ears to catch the words of Dave Jordan, commentator extraordinaire, who had gone into overdrive with the latest goal.

"And it's Izzie Bell, Izzie Bell for Slytherin with the quaffle, she's shooting up the pitch – come on Gryffindors, tackle her…yes…yes!…HAH! Gryffindor in possession, Gryffindor chaser Lydia Baker pelting towards the goal…passes to Lupin…passes to Chase…and it's Marie Chase, dodges a bludger – close call, Marie – she's getting nearer…" A ringing silence fell throughout the crowd, thick with tension. Dave's magically magnified voice cut sharply through it. "…SHE SHOOTS… SHE… doesn't… score…" He died away. The Slytherin side of the stands exploded with cheers and catcalls. "Blocked, by Slytherin keeper Zachary Harts," Dave continued dejectedly. "Slytherin have the quaffle…"

High above the game, James and Sirius were holding a whispered conference with Sirius' fellow beater, Tom Sullivan. 

"You need to take out their keeper," James repeated urgently, while his beaters nodded their agreement, "then go for anyone else you can. Padfoot, I'll need your backup later on."

Tulah squinted into the sun, trying to catch a glimpse of Sirius. He and Tom had been keeping out of the action so far; they were playing defensively rather than aggressively and not doing much more than keeping the bludgers from knocking any of the Gryffindors out. Tulah would have been worried if Sirius hadn't already explained to her the long and complicated strategy that he and James had worked out, and his part in it, in excruciating detail.

Finally picking him out from the tangle of players, she watched as he and Tom, working perfectly as a team, whacked bludgers repeatedly at the Slytherin keeper who was getting more and more jumpy. Their tactics worked; Hart fumbled an easy save, taking the score up to forty-ninety. 

Sirius grinned at James, who was circling the game above, and flashed him a triumphant thumbs-up.

James ignored him. He had seen a glint of gold at the other end of the pitch, and the Slytherin seeker was already a quarter of the way there. James sped after him, a mixture of fear and excitement flooding his veins. He was catching up…but the Slytherin was too far ahead…he was going to lose it…

He flattened himself to the broom handle, mentally urging it on. 

A bludger flew out of nowhere; he dodged it, swearing. Sirius swooped past him in hot pursuit of the bludger. "Get your arse in gear, Prongsie," he bellowed. (A/N; can I have feedback on whether it's 'ass' or 'arse' please??) 

James accelerated once more towards the snitch which, miraculously, was still hovering beside the Slytherin goal. 

The bludger which had so nearly hit him zoomed past his head, hit the Slytherin seeker from behind and knocked him clean off his broom. Moments later, James' fingers closed around the struggling snitch. 

Seconds later he was surrounded by his team - who were pounding him on the back, delirious with happiness - and Sirius was yelling something hoarsely in his ear. They sank to the ground, a tangle of triumphant bodies, to be met by the crowd of Gryffindors flooding onto the pitch.

Sirius planted an enormous kiss on Tulah's lips, slipped an arm round her waist and turned to look at her. "Well?" he inquired excitedly. "Did you see?"

"I watched the whole match," Tulah replied, her face alight. "You were brilliant!" 

"Flattery? What have you done?"

"I stole your red sweatshirt," Tulah admitted, gesturing to it. "Sorry. But you _were_ brilliant," she added. "You and James are a great team."

"Great team we may be," James said to Sirius from behind them, "But that doesn't mean I know why you have your arm around Tuls, and she hasn't murdered you yet."

Tulah answered. "We…um…" she glanced at Sirius, who nodded. "We got together last night."

Lily, who had joined them just then with Remus in tow, let out one of her squeals. "Finally! Congratulations!"

"Prove it!" Remus laughed, although Tulah noticed he was clutching his broom very tightly; his knuckles were almost white. She shot Sirius a 'please-don't-lets-make-too-much-of-this' look, then kissed him, very gently, on the lips.

Remus cleared his throat. "Ok, I think that's enough proof for now…" 

Lily, who had been finding it very difficult to suppress her excitement, suddenly burst forth, "But it's just so great for you guys, because you've been like on and off for so long, and you make such a cute couple because Tuls is so small, and Padfoot's so tall, and I hope you aren't going to break up this time-"

James, hoping to stop the flood of words, said, "Padfoot, did you know you've broken the Slytherin seeker's jaw?"

"I have? Cool!"

Seconds before Tulah fell totally asleep in History of Magic, a neatly folded note landed squarely in front of her. 

Tuls, she read, The end of term ball's next week, and I was hoping you'd come with me. So…will you? Sirius. xxx

Tulah glanced over at him to find him surrounded by the crumpled remains of his other attempts at a suitable note. He grinned back bashfully at her. Tulah, laughing, began her own note.

_Sirius, _

_Considering the amount of effort that went into that, I can't really say anything except I'd love to come to the ball, however shit you may have been at asking…_

_Tuls xxx_

A week later Tulah descended the stairs nervously, searching the common room for Sirius before she even realised she was doing it. She spotted him by the fire; looking, as usual, effortlessly attractive. (A/N; At no point will I mention what he's wearing because technically he should be wearing dress robes and in my head he isn't.) "Tuls!" Lily shouted, waving wildly from her perch on James' knee and nearly knocking his glasses off. "Careful, woman," he growled crossly, straightening them and spoiling the effect with a swift kiss on her cheek. Tulah, laughing, tugged absently on the low hemline of her dress and looked back at Sirius, only to find him gone. 

Warm breath stroked her cheek and strong arms slid around her waist. "You smell good," Sirius murmured in her ear. 

"Lily sprayed stuff on me," Tulah explained, turning in for a proper kiss. Sirius slipped his arm through hers, and they went to join the others. 

"Want to dance?" Sirius asked, a while later. Dinner was over, and people were streaming onto the dance floor which dominated the middle of the extravagantly decorated Hall. 

Tulah nodded and stood; Lily and James were long gone, as was Remus, and even Peter had found himself a girl to grope. 

Tulah moved her head a tiny bit closer to Sirius' and drew in a slow, rather shaky breath as his hands moved up her back. He took a gentle hold of her chin and turned her head up to face him.

This time all I need is you

There is no one else

Who can take your place…

"This is a muggle song," Tulah murmured. "I love this song…"

This time you burned me with your eyes

You see past all the lies

You take it all away…

Sirius kissed her firmly, running his hands down to the base of her spine and resting them there, digging his fingers in just slightly. Tulah pressed as near to him as she could, trembling with suppressed anticipation. 

Take me away

Take me away

I've got nothing left to say

Just take me away

They had left the dance floor and Tulah found herself backed up against the wall in a dark corner, pinned down by Sirius' arms. For once she was enjoying the experience; especially when Sirius turned his attention to her neck.

I've seen it all and it's never enough

It keeps leaving me needing you…

(A/N; 

Title: Take Me Away 

Artist: Lifehouse 

Album: Stanley Climbfall.)

"So what are you doing this holidays?" Sirius asked breathlessly; surprising Tulah, who had never known him ask such a mundane question. 

"I don't know." To be honest, she hadn't really thought about it. "Go to James', I suppose, unless he has any objections. What about you?"

"My, uh, my uncle left me some money. Quite a lot of money, actually. I was thinking of buying a flat."

Tulah stopped dead, a huge smile spreading over her face. "Sirius, that's great! So you can move out of James'?"

"Looks like it!"

Sirius let the excitement wash over him for a minute. ::Finally, independence! I can pay back James and Remus for all the times they've had me to stay!:: But there was still one more thing to do before he bought the flat, which he already had his eye on.

"Would you move in with me?" he asked quickly, before his nerve went. "I mean, it makes sense," he carried on in a rush. "I know it's way too early, but neither of us really has anywhere to go and we can't stay at James' forever, so I may as well get my own place and I know you've got no money so you may as well move in with me. And I'm in love with you," he added softly, "which always helps…"

"I love you too," Tulah whispered. "And I'd love to move in with you." 

She laughed, because she had suddenly thought of what Lily would say if she could hear them.

"This is getting clichéd, isn't it." Sirius laughed with her. "Shall we get back to the kissing part?"

"Excellent idea," Tulah approved, and Sirius drew her close again.

(A/N; It's one in the morning. I've been revising all day. Harry won't text me so I've developed a crush on a random guy called James instead. I hope you guys appreciate the effort that went into this. Now, just the epilogue to go then maybe I can get some sleep…boy am I going to be ratty next term…hope you forgive me!)

**Thought I'd leave that author's note in; it's a little outdated (Harry's history). And no it's not you James. Yet another James.**

**But I am writing this at one in the morning, and I have been revising all day, so it still applies. God my life is mundane…**


	15. The Last Chapter

(Dislcaimer; *blahblah* nothing *blahblah* me *blahblah* owning etc…)

**Alas, the last chapter *sob* it's here…you don't want it to be, but it is…**

**Actually, I hate to break it to y'all but this is just a little Bad-Angst-y epilogue to make me feel better about Rem. Or worse. You decide…**

**Epilogue –Remus**

**_Diary,_**

****

**_This isn't Tulah. Well, you must have guessed that already, our handwriting isn't exactly alike. She left this at School when she went, and somehow I don't think she'll need it any more._**

****

**_She and Sirius are, in the immortal words of Lily Evans, sickeningly happy together. I suppose I ought to be jealous, but I can't seem to summon up the energy…_**

****

**_So. It's the end of the summer term. We all passed our N.E.W.Ts -  Tulah beat everyone but Sirius and James, and we all got just about straight Os. _**

****

**_Sirius, Lily and James are going in for Auror training. I'd love to join them, but werewolves aren't allowed, so I'm going to try for a post at Gringotts. Tulah wants to be a teacher at Hogwarts, Merlin knows why; she's having preparation under McGonagall which disgusts James no end. _**

****

**_Peter has taken to hanging round with Lindsay (who has a different guy on her arm every week) and that Slytherin lot. He insists they're not as bad as we think, but I'm afraid he's wrong…_**

****

**_Then there's me. Remus Lupin. I don't have a girlfriend, I don't have a house; I won't even have a job if I fail for the Gringotts interview.  _**

****

**_But. I'm alive, and I've got the best friends anyone could ask for. _**

****

**_So I'll end this by signing myself,_**

****

**_Yours sincerely, guys_**

****

**_Remus Lupin._**

(**A/N; *is choked by tears* I'll miss you guys…wish me GCSE luck…hell, I need it! Byebye…**

**All my love**

**f-e-e**


End file.
